Wazwan the Kashmiri Cuisine-A Caloric Bomb

Box 1. Dishes served in Wazwan 1. Meethi 1 serving at 4 places 2. Chicken (Whole) 1 2 No. 3. Kabab 2 4 No. 4. Tabakmaaz 2 4 No. 5. Dani 1 No. 6. Rista 4 No. 7. Roganjosh 4 pieces 8. Tamater Paneer 1 large piece 9. Aab-Ghosh 1 large piece 10. Spinach 1 serving 11. Marchawangan Korma 4 6 pieces 12. Goshtaba: 1 No. 13. Fruit & vegetable dishes Variable* * depends upon the nature of occasion and financial strength of the host Item Serving* per Tramie contrast to the popular belief that chicken is better than mutton dishes in terms of caloric and fat content. However, when one realizes that waza chicken is fried in ghee and 1-2 Kg of chicken are served in each Tramie, this high caloric content provided by chicken dishes becomes understandable. Ideally, we should have estimated the whole microand macro-nutrient content, especially the protein content of Wazwan but that was beyond the scope of this study. The Wazwan is Kashmir's most formal meal served to a guest; a ritual serving of all the food there is in the house. The ultimate formal banquet in Kashmir is the grand Wazwan which is served during important events like the feast served to bridegroom and his relatives by the bride's relatives at the time of marriage. As many as 36 courses may be served, of which 15-30 preparations are of meat (invariably mutton). Many days of planning go into the making and serving of a Wazwan which is cooked overnight by the Vasta Waza (master chef) and his retinue of wazas. Guests are seated in groups of four and share the meal out of a large metal plate called the Tramie. Normally restricted to occasions of celebration at homes, the Wazwan experience includes table settings for groups of four on the floor where choice dish after dish is served, each aromatic with herbs and the fresh produce of the region. This taste of hospitality must in turn be fully appreciated by the guest, for the wazwan is not a simple meal but a ceremony. Our study was conducted in the context of managing obesity and 3,4 diabetes in Kashmir (now very common here) though Wazwan is also not feasible in conditions like chronic liver disease or chronic kidney 5 disease. One can argue that since this cuisine is used occasionally, hence it cannot be matter of concern in management of such noncommunicable diseases. But knowing that ready-made Wazwan is now available on a fly, it is not uncommon to see Kashmiris taking Wazwan every now and then. Keeping the quantum of calories in view, Wazwan is likely to interfere in the management of glycaemic control of diabetes and weight management of obesity. But this should not make the reader loose site of many advantages that Wazwan can offer. This highly cherished cuisine, being rich in protein, calories, iron and vitamin B12 can be very useful for growing children, pregnant women and lactating mothers, apart from its potential benefit in catabolic states like cancer or burns. To our knowledge, this is the first paper, which is considering Wazwan in this point of view. A search on PubMed using keyword 'Wazwan' in the title did not reveal any paper containing that name. Therefore, there is a need of doing a detailed study on microand macronutrient value of Wazwan and doing research for finding out ways to make Wazwan healthier, without compromising on its taste that Kashmiris cherish so much. In conclusion, our study reveals that Wazwan is a calorieand fatdense food; on an average, a person consumes about 5483 kilocalories on one occasion. One way to reduce the high caloric of this cuisine, without comprising on its essence, is to reduce the amount served per person like decreasing the portion size.

Wazwan the Kashmiri Cuisine -A Caloric Bomb Departments of Medicine, Endocrinology, Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Soura, Srinagar Wazwan, the Kashmiri cuisine, is a unique component of Kashmiri culture.Comprising of seven to thirty-six dishes of mutton, chicken, fruits and vegetables, it is served to invited persons (guests) on special occasions.Besides being micro-and macro-nutrient rich (especially in proteins), it is also rich in calories.contrast to the popular belief that chicken is better than mutton dishes in terms of caloric and fat content.However, when one realizes that waza chicken is fried in ghee and 1-2 Kg of chicken are served in each Tramie, this high caloric content provided by chicken dishes becomes understandable.Ideally, we should have estimated the whole micro-and macro-nutrient content, especially the protein content of Wazwan but that was beyond the scope of this study.
The Wazwan is Kashmir's most formal meal served to a guest; a ritual serving of all the food there is in the house.The ultimate formal banquet in Kashmir is the grand Wazwan which is served during important events like the feast served to bridegroom and his relatives by the bride's relatives at the time of marriage.As many as 36 courses may be served, of which 15-30 preparations are of meat (invariably mutton).Many days of planning go into the making and serving of a Wazwan which is cooked overnight by the Vasta Waza (master chef) and his retinue of wazas.Guests are seated in groups of four and share the meal out of a large metal plate called the Tramie.Normally restricted to occasions of celebration at homes, the Wazwan experience includes table settings for groups of four on the floor where choice dish after dish is served, each aromatic with herbs and the fresh produce of the region.This taste of hospitality must in turn be fully appreciated by the guest, for the wazwan is not a simple meal but a ceremony.
Our study was conducted in the context of managing obesity and 3,4 diabetes in Kashmir (now very common here) though Wazwan is also not feasible in conditions like chronic liver disease or chronic kidney 5 disease.One can argue that since this cuisine is used occasionally, hence it cannot be matter of concern in management of such noncommunicable diseases.But knowing that ready-made Wazwan is now available on a fly, it is not uncommon to see Kashmiris taking Wazwan every now and then.Keeping the quantum of calories in view, Wazwan is likely to interfere in the management of glycaemic control of diabetes and weight management of obesity.But this should not make the reader loose site of many advantages that Wazwan can offer.This highly cherished cuisine, being rich in protein, calories, iron and vitamin B12 can be very useful for growing children, pregnant women and lactating mothers, apart from its potential benefit in catabolic states like cancer or burns.To our knowledge, this is the first paper, which is considering Wazwan in this point of view.A search on PubMed using keyword 'Wazwan' in the title did not reveal any paper containing that name.Therefore, there is a need of doing a detailed study on micro-and macronutrient value of Wazwan and doing research for finding out ways to make Wazwan healthier, without compromising on its taste that Kashmiris cherish so much.
In conclusion, our study reveals that Wazwan is a calorie-and fatdense food; on an average, a person consumes about 5483 kilocalories on one occasion.One way to reduce the high caloric of this cuisine, without comprising on its essence, is to reduce the amount served per person like decreasing the portion size.

T R A C T Box 1. Dishes served in Wazwan
Though cherished by all, it not feasible for patients suffering with obesity, diabetes, chronic liver disease or kidney disease because of its high caloric and protein content.In this article, the high calorie content of Wazwan is discussed.JMS 2012;15(2):174-75 Key words: Adverse effects, cooking, Kashmiri cuisine, Nutrition education, Wazwan * depends upon the nature of occasion and financial strength of the hostItemServing* per Tramie