Have you ever wondered how the food traditions of our vast country have become a symbol of the varied cultures? The traditions that people in India follow, when it comes to food shows the actual culture of that region. There are some common traditions around different parts of India,
some of which are actually good for health while others are related to customs of the people of that place. Read on to understand the reasons that make food a symbol of the Indian culture.
1. Eating food on a banana leaf is one of the traditions followed mainly by the people in the south of India. It is a part of their daily routine and is actually considered healthy to eat a meal on a
freshly cut and washed banana leaf.
2. Different dishes depict different communities around India, like biriyani, dosa, noodles, rajma, paratha, chingri, malaikari etc. These are certain things that are an integral part of their respective communities, but also unite them because people from every region enjoy them.
3. The habit of eating food with hand is a culture followed across the country. According to the ancient Vedas, our fingers represent the 5 elements and eating with our fingers stimulates these five elements and helps in bringing forth digestive juices in the stomach. The nerve endings in our fingertips are also known to stimulate digestion and feeling your food is, in a way a signal to your stomach that you are about to eat, which in turn enhances your taste buds and makes you more conscious of the tastes, textures, and aromas.
4. There are special thalis that depict different regions, like the South and North Indian thalis, served at restaurants and are completely different from each other. It shows how the tastes of the people in the regions differ. The spices used in the south Indian food have a cooling impact on the body while body warming flavors and spices are used in north Indian food.
5. Sweets form a major part of each meal and are representative of a long lasting Indian custom. Sweets are served in the beginning, during and end of every meal depending on the customs and practices of the particular region and varies with each dish.
6. The other thing eaten before ending a meal in different places across India is having meethapaan, which acts as a mouth freshener. Having a paan after a meal also improves digestion and is also beneficial for oral health.
The dishes that Indians eat are bound by several reasons which make them depict the actual symbol of the culture of their place. This unites the country through food!