Refactoring Cuisine: How an Iraqi Stew Sailed to Singapore

I explore the journey of bamya, an Iraqi okra stew that transformed across centuries as Baghdadi Jewish merchants migrated to India and Singapore. Adapting to local ingredients like calamansi, the dish evolved from a savory lamb stew into the sweet-and-sour bamya assam of my childhood. This culinary evolution illustrates the Ship of Theseus paradox, challenging rigid definitions of authenticity in diaspora cooking.