(ALIESH OR
LINSEED OIL IN KASHMIR)
Quite often I
used to find that “Nadir Monji ” ( fried Pakoras made from lotus stem and rice
powder ) sold by some Halwais in Kashmir had a little unpleasant smell. I would
ask my father the reason for the unpleasant smell. Initially, he kept ignoring
my questions and then finally he explained that the local Halwais use Aleish (
linseed ) oil for frying. He also explained that due to poverty, not all
Kashmiris can afford mustard oil and hence many families in Kashmir buy linseed
or Aliesh oil for cooking.
Linseed crop
was widely grown in the Kashmir valley and the de-oiled cakes were also used as
animal feed. Dry weeds of the plant were also used as animal fodder. My father
has also told me a strange thing about the Aliesh or linseed plant. I reproduce
what he had said:-
“ Before
blooming, the plant and its leaves are poisonous for animals; but once the
flowers appear in this plant, it becomes a fodder/ food of choice for the
animals .”
We used to buy
mustard oil from an oil mill in Surateng, Rainawari located near the cluster of
houses belonging to the Hakeem family. I would be sent to buy oil that used to
be sold by weight ( Seer, Paav, Adda Seer etc ). I would always find a stock of
dried and ripened seeds of linseed plant inside the oil mill.
The proprietor
of the mill was a handicapped person who would always suggest and recommend
linseed oil to his customers :
“ Ni aliesha
teel seir jora. Ye chhu zabar “
“Buy two seers
of linseed oil. It is the best ”
Word Aliesh
was also popular in Kashmiri language for its sarcastic usage.
“ Maa laag
aliesh . Gutschh kar panein kaa’m ”
“ Don’t stick
to me. Do your Job “
Now Kashmiris
have discarded this oil. The cultivation of linseed crop also been abolished
altogether. So Aliesh ( linseed ) in Kashmir is a story of the past.
I found linseed
grown in many areas of the country. Its oil though not used for cooking has
found a place in varnish, sports goods and paint industry as a raw material.
The fibre of this plant is also used in the paper industry. It is also used in
soap and ink industry.
Aliesh (linseed
) is also known as Alsi. It is believed to be rich in Omega -3 fatty acid which
is considered good for the heart. Accordingly, the demand for linseed oil and
its seeds has grown substantially the world over. These seeds are also consumed
raw or after roasting them mildly.
Modern medical
science has established the usefulness of linseed in slowing down osteoporosis
apart from acting as a natural laxative
( Avtar Mota )
CHINAR SHADE by Autarmota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 India License.
Based on a work at http:\\autarmota.blogspot.com\.
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