THE POLITICAL MAP of India demarcating different states— carved out on a linguistic basis, strategic reasons or political expediency—isn’t perhaps the best prism to appreciate the colourful spectrum of Indian cuisines. A better access to this resplendent inheritance is provided by the concept of ‘zones of taste’ roughly corresponding to the geographical regions celebrated in our national anthem: “Punjaba, Sindhu, Gujarata, Maratha, Dravida, Utkala, Banga”, and so on. India’s identity, its gastronomic footprint, can’t be confined by boundaries drawn by man.
The diversity of streams that have intermingled to create a delightful confluence, resembling a great river system, is remarkable. It is futile to look for a mainstream or to arrange cuisines of different regions in a hierarchy. For millennia, ingredients and influences (cooking techniques) have travelled across the length and breadth of this land with intrepid traders, soldiers of fortune, marching armies, pilgrims and scholars. The Indian genius lies in imbibing diverse influences without losing its own moorings. India is no ‘melting pot’ homogenizing all that is put in it; Indian foods from different regions are best seen like musical notes that contribute to a mesmerizing melody.
The zones of taste are easily identified by the staple cereals: rice, wheat or millets; preferred cooking mediums— mustard, sesame, peanut or coconut oil; most popular souring and sweetening agents. Using these ‘filters’, we will discover that the food footprint of any state extends to the adjacent districts of its neighbouring state.
This story is from the February 2020 edition of Reader's Digest India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the February 2020 edition of Reader's Digest India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
THE UNBELIEVABLE MR RIPLEY
The creator of Believe It or Not had an insatiable curiosity about strange and astonishing facts
HE OPENED UP THE ARC TIC
\"You don't just sit and wait for adventure to come,\" famed polar explorer Knud Rasmussen liked to explain.\"You go out and make it happen!\"
Discovering Babasaheb
This Dalit history month—which also marks the 134\" birth anniversary of Dr B. R. Ambedkar, we recount four momentous incidents from his life
Lion in the Living Room
Five decades after two young men brought a playful cub into their London home, the tale has touched a whole new generation
The Many Roles of SUNIL DUTT
Through many personal tragedies, this favourite matinee idol finds strength and solace in helping others
AGATHA CHRISTIE MURDER BY THE BOOK
More widely read than any other English writer, she baffled the world with masterly tales of murder and remained something of a mystery herself
THE DAY WE MADE Flying History
Ona sunny September day in 1913, the author set three world records ina homemade flying machine
THE COMMANDO WITH THE TATTOO
Ganesh Dhangde was just six years old when he got lost. Twenty years later, his mother had a visitor
MARILYN: HER MAGIC LINGERS ON
The real Marilyn Monroe was nobody you'd look at twice—unless she wanted you to
I Think, Therefore, I Spam...
...has become the way forward for too many e-mail pests. Here's how I deal with them every single day
