Both the belna and chowki are used to create roti in Guyanese culture. Roti is a flatbread commonly eaten with curry. The belna depicted in the photo would be the dark wooden rolling pin, and the chowki is the round circular surface where you would typically roll out dough. My mother started making roti when she was about 6 years old. While both of these objects serve the purpose of making food, they also hold a traditional meaning in my family. My great great great grandfather was taken away from India on a ship, and he ended up going to work in plantations in Guyana. However, he brought all the recipes from India into Guyana even though he immigrated to a new place. One of the popular recipes that he brought over, was the roti recipe, and the rest of my family learned how to make it from him. It is a tradition for all the female members in the household to know how to make it for their families. The belna and chowki remind my mom of making breakfast back at home and the memories that she shared with her mother when she learned how to make it for the very first time. She also brought over all the recipes and cooking skills from Guyana into our home when she immigrated to the United States. Both of these objects carry a lot of meaning and significance because they are pieces of her past that are very cultural and traditional. 

– ET

Relationship:  Child of im/migrant Child of im/migrant