Food and activism have walked hand in hand for a very long time, from pelting politicians with eggs and tomatoes to the banning of pasta by Italy’s Futurists. However, I would argue that no single dish has become more iconic among counterculture movements than granola.
1. Preheat oven to 150°C (no fan).
2. Line two full-sized oven trays with Silpat or waxed paper.
3. Empty 1kg rolled oats
Cardamom, the ‘queen of spices’, has been traded and given as gifts for around 4000 years; it’s not at all unlikely that the Magi presented cardamom as a gift to baby Jesus. Used by Cleopatra as an aphrodisiac and in Arab culture as a symbol of hospitality, cardamom eventually found its way to Northern Europe by way of the Moors. Since that time, the spice has played an important part in Europe’s culinary history, particularly in sweets made for the Christmas holiday.
When I lived in India, I would often feel melancholic during the Christmas holiday, longing for cold weather and the warmth of Christmas cheer. One way that I would satiate my longings was through the flavours of what, for me, had always been Christmas spices: ginger, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom. Sipping on a hot cup of masala chai (spiced tea) would transport me to a place where Christmas trees sparkled and fireplaces crackled. Now that I’ve returned to Poland, masala chai has remained a part of my Christmas tradition, instead transporting me to memories of exotic markets and South Asian adventures.
