Every morning, my grandmother, whose mission in life was to feed us, would present me with five almonds in a stainless steel bowl, soaked overnight and peeled. “They’ll make you smarter,” she’d quip, as I gulped them down and ran for the school bus.
Before every trip we took – by plane, train or automobile – she’d hand us a pinch of sugar granules and say, “Here’s to a safe and sweet journey.”
And before every exam, I’d be treated with a bowl of yogurt, “It’ll keep you cool and calm”.
Illness was accompanied with sweet turmeric milk; lemon and chilies hung outside the door warded off evil spirits; and even sins could be forgiven every year by throwing sesame seeds in the lohri bonfire.
There is some science here and some superstition. But before there were chia seeds, avocados and acai bowls, every ingredient in my grandmother’s pantry was a superfood.
[150 words]
by Harjas Singh
Table Tales - 150 word stories 