People’s love for food hasn’t changed, but what has changed drastically is the attitude towards the regional food items. Local recipes and ingredients are weighed upon those standards which are not at all compatible with our rich culture and age old wisdom related to food
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Speak up a small word “food” and close your eyes to enter into the world of imagination and see immediately how various colours, aromas, textures, tastes all come to your mind! Although a cliché, the world has become a global village also in terms of food. The food lovers can enjoy Japanese sushi, Arabic shawarma, Mughlai kebabs, Italian spaghetti, South Indian idlis in any part of the world because taste is the king!
Ask the food lovers, and they will guide you where to go and find the authentic stuff, sometimes on the outskirts of a city or through narrow alleyways. However, it doesn’t matter how small or big the space is to accommodate; people take patience and passion with money to taste good food.
There are many examples of small towns and big cities in India becoming famous for a particular sweet or eatable. For instance, Feeni of Jaipur in Rajasthan, Tilkut from Gaya in the state of Bihar, spicy mixtures of Ratlam in Madhya Pradesh, Parathas of Paratha Gali in Old Delhi, Malaai ki Gilori and Tunday kababs from Lucknow, Rasgullas of Kolkata, Belgrami from Buxar, a small town in Uttar Pradesh, Khaja of Silao close to the land of Buddha, Balushahi from Runni Sayyadpur on the border of Nepal, Titaura from Darjeeling in West Bengal, Halbai from Bangaluru are a few to name.
The local and regional food products have been shelved brutally by the food industries propagating products that simply ruin our farmers’ lives by advertising products which are not grown locally
People’s love for food hasn’t changed, but what has changed drastically is the attitude towards the regional food items. Local recipes and ingredients are weighed upon those standards which are not at all compatible with our rich culture and age old wisdom related to food. Umpteen questions are raised regarding the properties and ingredients, fats , carbs, protein contents, and the negative aspects are dug deeper as this matters more in deciding if something is worthy or trendy to be consumed or not.
Gone are the days when Grannies would forbid eating leafy veggies during the rainy seasons and fry lentil pakodas instead! The winters used to be the time for halwas and methi laddoos, and not without reason. Pickles were made on a larger scale to cater to the year long needs and that too had a purpose. Clarified butter or ghee was used for daal tadkaas for enhancing the taste as well as maintaining bone health. No one questioned the amount of fat, protein and carb contents in food to the extent, the youngsters do nowadays. Mangoes were enjoyed in the summers without keeping an eye on the weighing machine. People relished regional and seasonal food.
One thing that wasn’t there was the information overload regarding food products. The traditional methods of cooking and the wisdom behind those were never questioned. They say knowledge is power, but the truth is that an overload of knowledge creates confusion. You can search for reasons for not eating mangoes and you will find many- from diarrhoea to dermatitis! Our ancestors were well aware of the benefits of every spice’s medicinal value, the qualities of lentils to leafy vegetables, and whatnot. One thing that wasn’t there was the manipulating information given by the food industries, which nowadays has been successful in replacing the local food products like millets with quinoa. Dieticians ensure that their clients do not eat ghee ( clarified butter) but can take shots of ghee in coffee for extraordinary results instead.
The local and regional food products have been shelved brutally by the food industries propagating products that simply ruin our farmers’ lives by advertising products which are not grown locally.
The protein shakes and muselis have replaced our scrumptuos and exciting breakfasts, low carb rolls have entered our lunches and dinners. It is good to enjoy the recipes from around the world but at the same time the local recipes and food products should be preserved. The wisdom behind eating certain food during a particular season or during a festival should be understood and explored. Savour Sushi or Spaghetti whenever you get an opportunity but do not forget the goodness of ‘Sattu ka paratha’ or ‘sooran ki sabzi’ as well.