In 1947, the British finally left India after 300 years of colonial rule. They created many arbitrary borders as they left, the most prominent of which was the line that was to separate India from Pakistan. The aftermath of this divide resulted in the greatest migration in human history, as millions made their way across hundreds of miles in the hope of creating new homes. The impact of this critical event is mirrored in what has become known as Delhi’s food culture, both at home and abroad. The well-known food historian Anoothi Vishal reminds us how partition lives on in India’s capital, while Jonathan Nunn, editor of the shape-shifting newsletter Vittles, shows us how the event created ripples in the imperial city of London. Partition transformed “Indian food,” in both colony and empire, and still shows its effects in new Indian restaurants today.

Topics covered in this episode:


Min 0:00: What is Partition?

Min 1:35: Meet Meher’s grand-aunt, Jeeti Nani

Min 2:30: Meet Anoothi Vishal

Min 3:42: From Mughlai cuisine to a dominant Punjabi cuisine

Min 8:31: Jeeti Nani’s account of dining practices pre- and post-Partition

Min 12:17: Collapse of a feudal order

Min 15:14: Meet Jonathan Nunn

Min 16:25: Ripple effects of Partition in London

Min 21:55: Complexities behind the modern British-Raj aesthetic

Min 27:19: Regional cuisines in London beyond Punjabi tandoori food



Learn more about this episode of Bad Table Manners at www.whetstoneradio.com, on IG and Twitter at @whetstoneradio, and YouTube at WhetstoneRadio.

Guests: Anoothi Vishal (@anoothivishal), Jonathan Nunn (@jonathandnunn)