The politician gourmand
It was a power iftari. Politicians, journalists and foreign diplomats nibbled, nattered, and name-dropped. At the host’s table sat a quiet and surly attaché from some Central Asian country, another grinning but shy attaché from the Far East, a media mogul, and the Turkish ambassador. As uniformed waiters passed around orange juice, cola, and Rooh Afza, conversation meandered from the Kurds to Nawaz Sharif. The host then randomly shared anecdotes about Sharif’s love of nihari and McDonald’s.
The PML-N chief’s reputation as a politician gourmand is indeed legendary. At an event of rival politicians, the mention of Sharif’s fondness for food was completely unexpected. It was a conversation piece related for its alleged insight into the personality of a major political figure, indicating a personal association. But really, the host – whatever his past associations, he is now a politician of one of the splinter PML groups – could’ve picked it up anywhere off the country’s grapevine of urban legends.
Take this one: during a meeting with foreign investors, Nawaz was quiet and looked bored his brother Shahbaz asked the questions. When it came time for a break, Nawaz perked up and asked: shall we have nihari? It is an account that supposedly exposes the PMLN chief’s short attention span when it comes to meaty issues and his real priority – food. Nothing wrong with the latter really; even Shakespeare wrote in Twelfth Night:
Sir Toby:
Does not our life consist of the four elements [earth, air, fire, and water]?
Sir Andrew:
Faith, so they say; but I think it rather consists of eating and drinking.
Sir Toby:
Thou art a scholar; let us therefore eat and drink.
Whether the story is true or not, it is how we Pakistanis deal with our politicians. Dressed in rumour, wrapped in innuendo, embellished in exaggeration, stories are passed around like a parcel at a party game. Of course, if Nawaz Sharif is involved, the food will be good. His generosity and hospitality are equally famous, plying interviewing journalists, for example, with choice lassis and specially concocted teas on request.
My parents’ house is in Model Town, Lahore, in the neighbourhood of the Sharifs. Every month and on special occasions (back when Raiwind was a palace-under-construction), we would receive makhani palak gosht and matkas of juicy, golden-brown gulab jamun. This was when the brothers Sharif’s father was still alive. Sending the neighbours good chow is more than just being neighbourly, it’s smart politics.
And whatever political gossip may say about the real savvy emanating from some other Sharif, Nawaz has played his hand well in his third incarnation as the dictatorship-hating, coalition-loving opposition leader. As the PMLN never fails to remind us, he is according to polls Pakistan’s most popular politician. A joint survey conducted by Al Jazeera and Gallup Pakistan revealed that an overwhelming 38 per cent of the people felt that Nawaz Sharif should run the country. President Asif Ali Zardari got only nine per cent.
His principled stand on the judges’ issue – as opposed to the PPP government’s dithering – clearly rode a popular wave. His party has also been staunchly opposed to the Kerry-Lugar bill, invoking conventional notions of sovereignty while simultaneously cashing in on anti-US sentiment. It also helps that his base is the country’s most populous province. He is, after all, the quintessential Punjabi – right-wing, macho (the tiger as the party’s mascot and electoral symbol is pure genius) and with expansive appetites. That includes food.
Clearly, appetite for power often suggests insatiability in other areas – whether its food, women, money or territory. Take former Bill Clinton and his philandering, or the pint-sized emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, who is credited with influencing French haute cuisine. Dishes such as Chicken Marengo and Lobster Thermidore were concocted to feed the ever ravenous Napoleon and canning was invented to preserve food for his troops – all on the battlefield. He once said: ‘An army marches on its stomach.’
The march of Nawaz Sharif, however, has hit a blockade for now. If he wishes to return to the rank from which he was so unceremoniously unseated by General Pervez Musharraf, there are legal hurdles since he has already been elected twice as prime minister. He has a chance to get elected to the National Assembly in the postponed by-polls, but it is a decision he has not made public as yet. Speculations abound about deals as oily as parathas with the Saudis, or a reluctance to participate in the current parliament, or that he has pinned his hopes on mid-term elections. What is the country’s most popular politician waiting for?
There is a dessert named after Napoleon Bonaparte, called the napoleon. Made in small, individual servings, crisp layers of puff pastry are spread with a thick, flour-based egg custard called crème patisserie. This tiny, often rectangular structure is then glazed with a thin icing or dusted with confectioner’s sugar.
I submit that channay ki daal ka halwa should be re-named Nawaz Sharif halwa. Lentils are cooked in desi ghee, sugared well to disguise a base ingredient primarily associated with savoury dishes, and liberally sprinkled with nuts, raisins, and coconut. It lacks the lovely grainy texture of sooji (semolina) and the rich fruitiness of gaajar (carrots). But the Nawaz Sharif halwa is a dish of both surprise and contradiction.
Amber Rahim Shamsi is a mother, journalist, and foodie whose experiments in the kitchen haven’t always turned out quite right. But that hasn’t stopped her from trying, to the dismay of her family.
The views expressed by this blogger and in the following reader comments do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Dawn Media Group.
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November 21st, 2009 at 5:34
I liked that! Wow, it is full of food and politics in a meaningful way. I never came across such a fresh and appetizing article. I am sure I will be reading this blog again and again.
GB
October 30th, 2009 at 18:32
Well Written ,its good the writer could look beyond the doom and gloom and to the lighter side of life…..but then we cannot dicuss anything beyond this….The love food…the love for the Country??????
October 27th, 2009 at 9:29
Nothing would be more tiresome than eating and drinking if God had not made them a pleasure as well as a necessity. ~Voltaire
Good article Amber…Keep it up !
October 27th, 2009 at 0:26
Hi,
I was under the impression that Nihari – humari taraf ka dish hai, I have tasted delicious Nihari-kulcha in Old Delhi and in Lucknow – Punjabis here seem to call spicy trotters Kharoday however Palak Gosht, which is called saag-meat in Delhi is a buttery Punjabi classic
Yours
An Indian friend
October 26th, 2009 at 20:02
Seems like the author herself is very much fond of food and food politics
October 26th, 2009 at 15:26
What is the definition of intellectual haze?
Lassi, Nihari, Channay ki daal, or Sooji of course not!
But I love to eat Karee, may be that help me to stimulate my mind.
October 26th, 2009 at 14:25
Though I would like to see Nawaz shed some Kilos, I would leave it to him and his family. I am sure if Amber goes around the dining tables of other popular figures, she might get inspired and spend more time worrying about who eats what.
October 26th, 2009 at 14:13
i think you forgot to mention nawaz sharif
most favourite dishes like GAJRELLA AND
BADAMI SHARBAT which he did not missed
while he was in exile.
October 26th, 2009 at 6:40
Wow Amber. You have done it again!
Excellent piece with intelligence, style and pinache written all over it!
But when you say that Mian saheb likes Macdonald’s I am kind of taken aback. After all, a gourmet freak like Mian saheb can never subscribe to tasteless, processed, Junk food!
October 26th, 2009 at 2:30
After reading the article twice, I still cannot comprehend the spirit behind the article as if it is meant to defame Nawaz Sharif or to discuss his food choice.
October 25th, 2009 at 23:51
I think you’re confusing “gourmand” with “gourmet,” and the statement: “Clearly, appetite for power often suggests insatiability in other areas – whether its food, women, money or territory” seems rubbish to me, frankly. Opinion should not be confused with pseudo-sociology.
October 25th, 2009 at 21:55
A couple of months back N.Sharif had ‘lunch with Financial Times.’ All Sharif was interested was to serve food at his Lahore residence rather than give his views on national issues. Shortages of basics and People lining up for food have reasons beyond scarcity-over consumption in the elite circles.
October 25th, 2009 at 20:28
Very nice article. Light, interesting and thoughtful. A touch of Sheikh Saadi who would use nice little stories to convey very serious messages. Keep it up.
Moral of the story? unfortunately majority of the eligible voters do not understand…
Forget it and enjoy the nice food anyway.
October 25th, 2009 at 19:00
Brilliant article! Well written and I love the food metaphors invoked to underscore a critical political message. Keep it up!
October 25th, 2009 at 18:25
We hardly have much to choose from.
Either choose a leader who loves chane ki dal ka halwa and phajje ke paye, or from those who love Champagne, Sherry and Russian Vodka.
The choice is yours.
October 25th, 2009 at 11:54
Sometimes, food is the way out to keep your frustations under control. Nawaz may be having the same objective, though he may not know it. It is best to make Nawaz so busy in solving the real problems that he forgets his past and leads a more balanced life. A paradoxical statement. Go figure it out!
October 25th, 2009 at 10:50
forget all this political talk!!!
lets enjoy food (and some nice music)
=)
October 25th, 2009 at 10:18
If you still have not tried two or three glasses of thick sweet lassi in the morning pls give it a try and for the rest of the day you wont b able to do anything meaningful.
same is happening with nawaz.
October 25th, 2009 at 9:36
Recently one of my Lahori friend died of heart attack, who was only in forties and had similar eating habbits. Whenever we asked him to have mercy on food, only he would demand diet 7up instead of regular one, and that too after tasting half kilo Barfi.
October 25th, 2009 at 9:16
I wonder why mr. nawaz sharif is overweight,
and common people of pakistan are underweight.Is this due to HALWA ?
October 25th, 2009 at 4:00
Everyone loves to eat good.Please stop picking on Nawaz Sharif.
October 25th, 2009 at 1:56
Amber, I was more impressed by Twelfth Night quote by Sir Andrew and Sir Tobey. I actually, watched this live play on stage.
October 24th, 2009 at 22:37
Interesting and well written!
I remember that folks would joke about former US President Bill Clinton’s love of Big Macs and how he would go to McDonalds.
It seems that Nawaz Sharif is your typical Lahori and has a Lahori’s love of food. In the West, many restaurants use the name Lahore in the name to attract people, even when the owners have nothing to do with Lahore. Good food and Lahore go together!
October 24th, 2009 at 22:34
You cannot blame the poor & the helpless of this country by siding with the extremist, if literate people like you are supporting a clumsy circus clown like Nawaz. I am surprised when some call him a great leader……Whats so great about him??
October 24th, 2009 at 20:56
Vow ..very subtantive article , I take it …satire …?
It reflects on the depth of Nawaz and the clan in a profoundly objective way. To summarise ..still in evolutionary paradigm .
October 24th, 2009 at 19:43
What can Lahoris possibly know about good Nihari??? What’s the world coming to?
October 24th, 2009 at 19:08
In his second term as PM, he hired one Halva Specialist (on government expenses), who used to travel with him. I think he was specialist in making Gajjir(Carrot) Ka Halva, not other kinds of Halva. I like his food taste, but he spends all his income resources on food, therefore no money is left to mention in Tax Return.
October 24th, 2009 at 18:18
very interesting article…hilarious
keep it up Amber
chanay ki dal ka halwa is not appropiate… it should be something namkeen
October 24th, 2009 at 18:00
Amber, I’m impressed. I’m impressed by your tongue-in-cheek, candid writing, and indeed by your perfect choice of words. And by the way, who in the world, not least in Lahore, is not a gourmand and doesn’t like good, delectable food in any hue and form?? As for the people in Karachi, and I’m a Karachiite, they love food, naturally.
October 24th, 2009 at 16:56
I would understand Nihari, Lassi etc. Not sure of his choice of McDonald’s…. yuck!
So, is there any body out there who does NOT love good food?
October 24th, 2009 at 15:33
Nawaz Sharif needs to work on his weight for the sake of his good health and heart.
I think fasting for three days a week could be very helpful.
October 24th, 2009 at 15:29
Mian sahab is a great leader and being a Lahori one loves food.
October 24th, 2009 at 13:34
An excellent piece of writing Amber. I am very impressed by your thoughts and serious comments on Nawaz Sharrif; above all else done you have done it in an amusing and interesting way. I wish more Pakistani journalists would write such intelligent pieces. Bravo! Please keep cooking and writing both will improve given time and effort.
October 24th, 2009 at 13:27
So why not make Shahbaz the choice to lead the country, and Nawaz the leader of the Kitchen! Well written.
October 24th, 2009 at 11:14
Sadly, the only thing Shakespearean about Sharif is his appetite! Well written, Amber.
October 23rd, 2009 at 17:29
Very well written Amber but i wished you would have given him another title. A sweet dish like chanay ki daal ka halwa doesnt seem apt for a gourmand like Mian saab.
He should be named after something namkeen
October 23rd, 2009 at 17:24
That reminds me an incident narrated to me by a friend about Khawaja Nazim-ud-din, one time prime minister of Pakistan but was out of office at that time. He was a guest at one of the prominent politicin’s house and after dinner went to sleep. The host says in the middle of night he heard a noise and came to inquire in the first floor. He was amused to see Khawaja Sahib eating “gujrella”( made of milk, carrots and some other ingredients)on his hands. Ayub Khan liked mangoes, and even in bad times, Indian politicians used to send him choiced mango from India. Mahmood Ali Qasoor liked specialized brands of cheese, coffee, tea and other sundries and regularly packaged used to come to him.
October 23rd, 2009 at 16:55
A good eater can be very possessive also especially about his favourite food, he wants to have it first. I wish Nawaz Sharif does not match food anology with his politics in a sense that he shares his wealth when the country needs the most. Allah loves charity, do sharifs have the wisdom or political acumen to share their wealth when this country really is begging outside.
October 23rd, 2009 at 16:48
You Tell me what you eat and I can tell you who you are, a famous saying.
October 23rd, 2009 at 15:54
Dont give up Amber, even to the dismay of family. It takes many failures for a memorable success.
October 23rd, 2009 at 15:50
brilliant!…seems like every thing is glazed in politics..why not marinate food in it too =).
October 23rd, 2009 at 14:27
Hilarious !
October 23rd, 2009 at 14:23
It’s awsome. well described but what ever you say nawaz sharif is The Best.
October 23rd, 2009 at 14:04
Very tempting article Amber,but the suggestion about renaming chanay ki daal ka halwa wont really work for people who dont admire Nawaz sharif.
Nawaz Sharif may be a good man and i also agree that he may be a popular politician too but he is not a very good administrator,although he has Nuclear test and Motor way on his credit but most of the people he has in his party besides few unexperimented are pretty similar to the traditional feudals which doesn’t prevail to impact a population of Pakistan which is argumenting about the Democracy’s false implementation and his party’s role to back it.
His party is sitting on the opposition benches in the National Assembly but i am not able to see real opposition,i dont mean the opposition to destabilize the system but i mean the accontability.The back stage co-operation is getting obvious day by day and this weakens his position,but i am not sure about the popularity graph because a huge population of Pakistan is blindly emotional and they are alarmed lately after dawn.
October 23rd, 2009 at 14:01
a real tongue-in-the-cheek article and Mr.Sharif’s passion for food has been correctly highlighted.Mr.Sharif may as well love the company of a gourmet chef than the PM or President of our country
Well written and well versed article, Amber! keep writing
October 23rd, 2009 at 12:53
Mr. Sharif just can not get his mind off food. In the 90’s as Prime Minister he visited the Karachi Stock Exchange to meet with the Directors and heads of Financial Institutions including banks. Naturally the Stock Exchange arranged for lunch from a 5 star hotel and it was top of the line menu as money was no problem. immediately after lunch Mr. Sharif turned to the President of the Exchange and said ” The food was not good at all. You should have had some paaya, nihari and lassi instead.” He said this with the microphone on!
October 23rd, 2009 at 12:17