When the recent price hike in onion, diesel and gold sent the rest of the country into a tizzy, the average food-loving Malayali was left ranting for a different reason altogether.
We are talking about the "crisis" that hit the local poultry industry when a hike in the base price of chicken brought in from outside the state sent prices soaring. 'What will we eat now' — the state seemed to lament in unison. And if the statistics released recently by the Poultry development corporation kerala are anything to go by, then it seems like Kerala had very good reason to cry foul at this poultry price hike.
Sample this: Annually, Malayalis consume 3.35 lakh tonne chicken worth `3,100 crore on an average, of which, more than 60% is imported from the neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu. The number might sure seem mind-boggling, but then, truth is that no meal in Kerala today is complete without a helping of chicken on the plate. With the import of chicken cut down by 1/3rd, there were no chicken items on the menu in several hotels in the city for the past couple of days. "when we told customers there is no chicken, some ordered beef and fish items. But many left without eating. A lot of people come here just for our chicken dishes," says Shafi, an employee at a popular food outlet.
All this makes one wonder, whatever happened to the fish-loving Malayali? since when did chicken become our staple diet?
"Malayalis, Goans and Bengalis were always sea food lovers, and these states were considered the sea food capitals of India," says celebrity chef and restaurateur Naushad and adds, "But through the years, mutton, beef and fish were all equally popular. Chicken was reared only in homes and it was the custom to kill a home-grown chicken to treat guests."
But all that changed with the entry of boiler chicken in the market. A broiler chicken would weigh up to 1.5 kg in a span of 1.5 months, so suddenly the price of chicken dipped. And the meat loving Malayali happily welcomed the fleshy broiler counterpart of the bony country chicken into the local diet. Cost factor apart, it's the ease of cooking that makes chicken favourable, says Sudheerkumar, executive chef at a city hotel. "Chicken is easier to chew, digest and a variety of preparations can be made if you experiment with it," adds Sudheerkumar. "Beef gets tough when fried but chicken becomes softer. People are also becoming aware of the health benefits of chicken over red meat," he says.
The easy availability of chicken, plus that fact that it is easy to cook, has also contributed to it taking over the market, adds Naushad. "It's a favourite among the new generation, many of whom hate the smell of fish. Chicken can be bought cleaned and even marinated, and so it's hugely popular among bachelors living alone or young homemakers who can't be bothered to spend much time cooking. There is no feast without chicken really."
Is there a flip side?
Foodies think there is nothing wrong with this new found love for chicken. However health experts seem to think that it's best to exercise moderation. Mumtaz Khalid Ismail, consultant nutritionist at a city hospital says, "There is no proof that broiler chicken is injected with hormones for fattening them up. There is a widespread belief that the early onset of puberty in children today is a direct result of broiler chicken consumption. But I see no correlation; I have noticed the same phenomenon in purely vegetarian children as well. It is to do with the lifestyle, more than one food item," she says. However, like many other dieticians, she says that it is best to avoid consuming chicken in large quantities, on a daily basis. "Nadan chicken is the safest bet of course, but whichever the variety, do not consume more than 100 gm a day. Also, try to alternate between fish and chicken," says nutritionist Nissy Cyril.
Sudheer Kumar points out that we have worse things to worry about than hormones in broiler chicken. "There are certain norms in the processing of meat which are not followed in our country. The fact that it doesn't taste bad is no guarantee that it is fresh. The chopping boards in slaughterhouses are not sanitised properly either," he says.
Mumtaz cautions that fried chicken should never be consumed regularly from hotels and fast food joints. "Hotels brush fried chicken with transfat to make it tastier, which is very unhealthy," says Mumtaz.
For now though, it seems like it would take more than just a few health concerns to make Malayalis take a break from their favourite dish.
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