Traditional Food - The Lost Glory

Gone are the days when our favorite food used to be ‘rajmah chawal’ or ‘kadi chawal’, when ‘paav bhaaji’ and ‘gol-gappa’ were an all time delicacy, and when kheer used to be a sweet temptation. Today people are getting more and more inclined towards the Italian or Thai cuisine. They have forgotten about the Indian traditional food which has led to a loss in its glory. They assume that rambling off the name of any foreign cuisine would make them sound classy and sophisticated. Indian food is considered low and substandard. They feel shame in admitting that their favorite food used to be ‘khichdi’ or ‘dal-chawal’.

Our country is known for its rich heritage, prosperous culture, diverse traditions and of course not to forget the delectable and assorted FOOD. Each state and culture is renowned for its palatable cuisine. Whether its Mumbai’s famous paav-bhaaji, or Rajasthan’s daal-baati-churma; Bengal’s maacher jhol bhaat or Punjab’s makke ki roti/sarson da saag, traditional food is celebrated in all parts of our country. Indian civilization dates back to 5000 years. The traditional foods have been influenced and evolved from Persian and Islamic cultures and India’s cultural ties with other societies. Historical events like foreign invasion, trade relations and colonialism have also played a vital role in developing certain food types. These have left a mark and led to the diversity of flavors and spices found in the abundant regional cuisines of modern-day India. The Indian cuisine not only includes the dietary staple food of different regions, but it also includes non-alcoholic beverages like tea, rasam, lassi, sherbet, and desserts like kheer, shandesh, rabri, kaju katli.

It’s true that fast food chains, and 30 minute pizza delivery systems have become a fad these days, but it could never take on the popularity of our all-time favorite ‘daal-chawal’ and rajmah-chawal’. In the past, Indian restaurants have faced stiff competition from the likes of these fast-food chains that threaten to eradicate Indian traditional eating habits. But eventually these fast food chains have adapted to the local cuisine and developed many fusion cuisines like the Indian Chinese or the Tandoori pizza.

Some Indian restaurants have not fallen prey to the western influence but have steadily maintained the traditional eating habits. In many places on can still feel the essence of our culture when food is served on traditional banana leaves or is doled out in small metal handis. Others have kept alive the magic of our heritage by performing traditional ways to cook and serve food.  Such places don’t let people forget their glorious culture and equally sumptuous traditional Indian cuisine.

Restaurants around the globe have long realized the appetizing appeal of our traditional Indian food. They have started reinventing the Indian cuisine on foreign shores. The Indian tandoori chicken has found mass appeal in major parts of the world. And of course the Indian cuisine is a culinary preference of many a people due to its variant use of spices, herbs, fruits and vegetables.