“You always know when family is visiting from overseas. Outside their houses, threaded through twine and hung on fences and poles, will be chunks of goat meat and fish drying in the sun.”
So ventured my mother’s sister, Chinnappa, who lives in Vaduvur, a village in central Tamil Nadu. In summer, temperatures in this village can rise to 45 degrees C (113 degrees F). So punishing is the sun that people try not to be outdoors between 10 am and 4 pm. Harsh as it is on humans, this kind of heat is ideal for preserving food. Drawing out moisture, the sun’s heat prevents mold and musty odors and arrests decay. On sunny days, in yards and out on open-roof terraces, women unfurl old dhotis and tarpaulins and spread their stores of spices, grains, and pulses to dry. They lay bounties from gardens, fields, ponds, and markets out to toast,...
University of California Press