Following Fish: Travels Around the Indian Coast

Description

In a coastline as long and diverse as India's, fish inhabit the heart of many worlds - food of course, but also culture, commerce, sport, history and society. Journeying along the edges of the peninsula, Samanth Subramanian delivers a kaleidoscope of extraordinary stories. Following Fish conducts rich journalistic investigations of, among others, the use of fish to treat asthmatics in Hyderabad; of the preparation and the process of eating West Bengal's prized hilsa; of the ancient art of building fishing boats in Gujarat; of the fiery cuisine and the singular spirit of Kerala's toddy shops; of the food and the lives of Mumbai's first peoples; of the history of an old Catholic fishing community in Tamil Nadu; and of the hunt for the world's fastest fish near Goa. Pulsating with pleasure, adventure and discovery, and tempered by nostalgia and loss, Following Fish reveals a series of unknown Indias in a book as revealing of the subcontinent as any three times its length.

Samanth Subramanian studied journalism at Pennsylvania State University and international relations at Columbia University. He has written for, among other publications, Mint, the Far Eastern Economic Review, Foreign Policy, New Republic, Foreign Affairs, The National and The Hindu. This is his first book.

Following Fish goes down smoothly and is very satisfying * Guardian * Subramanian delights in writing about the preparation and tasting of fish, but his interests aren't just culinary. Indeed, the book is at its best when it concentrates on human stories... He is an entertaining guide to local attitudes towards fish, and he has uncovered a whole range of unusual stories about Indian history, culture and society. * Sunday Times * Following Fish thoroughly deserves wider recognition... Subramanian combs the beaches and fish markets for engaging encounters, then enriches them with his own musings. * Literary Review *