In a Studio
Ghibli film, food and the acts of
cooking, serving or eating, usually have
a deep significance.
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CELEBRATED
ANIME FILMMAKER Hayao
Miyazaki turns 82 today, January 5. And
while the films from his Studio Ghibli
stable are a testament to technical and
artistic virtuosity, with deeply
affecting stories and characters at
their core, fans are also overwhelmingly
drawn to the myriad depictions of
food.
In a Studio
Ghibli film, food is rarely just that.
It signifies love and care, a gesture of
comfort, the warmth of a newfound
friendship, or the beginning of a
physical transformation. Sometimes, it
has magical elements, but more often
than not, it is mundane. Even then, it
ends up speaking volumes, adding nuances
that the narrative may not feel the need
to spell out: the ease with which a
young girl prepares meals for her father
and sibling, how deftly a wizard wields
a sizzling skillet full of eggs and
bacon for breakfast, or the tears
rolling down a character's face as she
wolfs down onigiri.
Neatly packed
bento boxes jostle for viewers'
attention alongside bowls of piping hot
ramen; a multi-course repast evokes just
as much hunger as a pot of soup bubbling
over a campfire. It isn't solely about
the big picture; every individual detail
— for instance, ingredients like meat,
vegetables, rice, seafood, cheese, bread
or eggs — is rendered with meticulous
care. Extravagant banquets find place in
the Ghibli canon, as do simpler meals,
shorn of all social airs, consumed with
one's family at home. Ghibli features
encompass the full range of Japanese
dining experiences and contexts: from
Washoku (indigenous Japanese
food), Nihon Ryori
(restaurant-prepared food) and
Yōshoku (food influenced by the
West), to Kaiseki
(fine-dining).
The delectable
spread in Studio Ghibli films has
prompted many-a-viewer to attempt
recreating some of those dishes
themselves. Entire Instagram accounts,
university projects — and even a
two-part exhibition at the Studio Ghibli
Museum in Mitaka, Japan (where the
in-house Straw Hat Café serves breaded
pork cutlets, hot dogs, desserts and
beverages) — have been devoted to
presenting the real-life versions of
this animated food, often in settings
that replicate the source material as
closely as possible. Considering that
Hayao Miyazaki's onscreen depiction of
these dishes was based on meals he
actually cooked, such tributes
mark the inspiration coming full
circle.
According to
Studio Ghibli's curatorial notes for the
2017 exhibition (titled "Delicious!
Animating Memorable Meals") at its
museum, the depiction of food in their
films works not only because of
stunningly realistic detailing but also
because it is very closely tied to
memories and emotions. Fans who have the ramen scene from
Ponyo on repeat would
wholeheartedly agree.
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***
If
food trivia is your favourite
kind of appetiser, visit the
Slurrp website or
download the app
for recipes, meal plans and
kitchen
hacks.
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Makes 10 servings. Total time: 1
hour.
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About 450 gm smelt fish, cleaned 1 tbsp
chopped garlic 1/2 tbsp chopped
ginger 2 slit green chillies 1 tbsp
broken mustard seeds 3 tsp red chilli
powder (divided)
1 tsp fenugreek powder 1 tsp turmeric
powder 1 tsp salt 2 sprigs curry
leaves 1 cup vinegar 2 tbsp oil
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Marinate fish
with salt, turmeric and 2 tsp of chilli
powder for an hour. Grease an oven-proof
pan and spread the fish on it in a
single layer. Grill/broil in the oven
for 15 minutes on one side. Then flip
the fish onto their other sides, apply a
little oil and broil for 10 minutes
more. Turn off the oven and let fish
cool.
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Meanwhile, on the stove top, in a pan, warm
oil, add curry leaves and let them splutter.
Add ginger-garlic paste and saute for 2
mins. Mix in green chilli and mustard
powder, then fry till light brown. Now add
fenugreek powder.
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Add the fish to the pan with 1 tsp red
chilli powder and mix well. Add vinegar,
stir once more, and take pan off the stove.
When cool, bottle the fish pickle and
refrigerate.
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In-depth, well-researched narratives about
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In which Nirmalya Dutta and Avinash Mudaliar
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