Sustainable Food Culture

Sustainable Food Culture

Sustainable Food Culture is a very broad term which includes food/ exercise regime/ mental health/ physical health and family health. And of course, the starting point has to be the kitchen, which is called as Paka- Shala in Sanskrit. The very meaning of Paka- Shala is “Cooking Institution.” It indeed does not revolve around some grams of Proteins, Carbs, and Fats, it revolves around the concept of wholesomeness with a sense of physical and mental well being.

“Following our roots is the way to bring back sustainability in our food culture.”

How to re-create a Sustainable Food Culture?

When we speak about sustainability in food, it can also be misinterpreted as a mundane or boring stuff which is precisely the opposite of how sustainable food culture should be perceived. Here are some ways we can recreate the magic of sustainable food culture.

Flexible:

I remember when I was a kid, there would be some days when my grandma/ mom used to try different dishes just to be out of the food prep routine which used to be of the same type as per the region, religion, and beliefs that our family was adhering to. Flexibility is at the core of the whole concept of Sustainable Food Culture.

Season Specific:

The food which was made at our home was very sensitive to the season. I hardly remember having onions in the rainy season while we used to have white onion every day with dal and chapati all summers just to prevent sickness occurring from the heat wave. Having Kanji/Pej has been a practice all summers in many Indian households because it is very light on the stomach and is available aplenty. It has medicinal gut healing properties which will hardly let anyone suffer from the evil effects of IBS, Diarrhea or Constipation.

Kanji

Kanji/ Pazhaya Sadam (Currytrail.in)

Festival centric:

Indian kitchens are festival centric. We make Gujiyas and Thandai during Holi in North India, whereas Puranpoli and Vade (Fritters) are made as an offering to the Goddess Holika in Maharashtra. Puranpoli is made of chana dal which is harvested during the months of Jan-Feb. Having Puranpoli from the freshly harvested dried chana dal is more about seasonal availability of the legume and its wholesomeness when had with fritters and kadhi which is again made of besan. 

Region wise/ Harvest wise:

Having chapati in Chennai is the wild call that one can make. Every food has its Geographic Indication. Tamil Nadu is a paddy belt since ages Tamil people have thrived on rice, coconut, banana and the dried vegetables because there were no means of growing vegetables in odd months. People used to buy vegetables in the so-called very warm winters and dry it to make it ready for the humid summers. So, having rice in Tamil Nadu and Paratha in Punjab is surrendering yourself to the already existing Sustainable Food Culture.

Modern Kitchen with Brass Utensils ( Courtesy – Pinterest)

Architectural Aspect:

Indian kitchen has always been a minimalistic kitchen with good amount of usable utensils made of mud, brass, copper or nowadays steel. A small ventilator or a window above the gas/chulha to let go of the smoke used to be an essential feature. The kitchen was never accessible to the outsiders and is closely guarded by the lady of the house. With liberalization, we do have some changes in our kitchen etiquettes now but bringing in the mud pots can bring back the earthen taste of Indian cuisine which is lost long back.

The article is written as part of the #SuperBloggerChallenge2018 by #Instacuppa conducted by HealthWealthBridge.comFashionableFoodz.com and AllAboutTheWoman.comand should not be repurposed, republished or use otherwise. The content herein is owned by the blogger. SuperBloggerChallenge2018 is not responsible for any infringement caused.

Snehal Joshi
mugdhaaa@gmail.com

Snehal is a Certified Nutrition Coach by National Academy of Sports Medicine. She is writing about her persuits of Nutrition Science since last 4 years.

30 Comments
  • Namratha
    Posted at 16:14h, 05 March

    I think my key takeaway from your blog post is that we should start looking back at our food culture to figure out how to run a sustainable kitchen. Absolutely true

    #SuperBloggerChallenge2018

    • admin
      Posted at 05:25h, 06 March

      Yes! Back to roots will always yield better results..Thank you for the comment..:)

  • Mann
    Posted at 17:36h, 05 March

    No matter how far a stream goes, it is always attached to its origin. Sane applies to us…experiment, explore in all directions but never underestimate the power of our ‘roots’ .

  • Mann
    Posted at 17:39h, 05 March

    No matter how far a stream goes, it is always attached to its origin. Same applies to us…experiment, explore in all directions but never underestimate the power of our very Roots!
    Mann💓
    #superbloggerchallenge2018

    • admin
      Posted at 13:11h, 07 March

      So true!

  • anupriya
    Posted at 12:02h, 06 March

    This is a very different aspect of sustainability that you have brought into light. To break from routine, yet stick to the roots is a good way of remainging ground as far as healthy food habits are concerned.

    • admin
      Posted at 12:08h, 06 March

      Whatever our tradition/ culture teaches us has some significance..bringing it back to life would help us in being sustainable..thank you anupriya for the comment. 🙂

  • paresh godhwani
    Posted at 13:24h, 06 March

    Actually I didn’t know the meaning of Sustainable food when I saw the video. Your post had cleared the concept of sustainable food in my head. And the examples and experiences you have shared of wholesomeness are very handy and should be followed in the time to come.

    #SuperbloggerChallenge2018

    • admin
      Posted at 13:28h, 06 March

      I am so happy that the blog post helped you understand the sustainable food practices. Thank you so much for your comment. # SuperBloggerChallenge2018

  • Neha Tambe
    Posted at 15:36h, 06 March

    This is so true. Our festivals and eating habits were designed based on seasons, harvest and environmental changes. If we really try and understand the science behind it, we will have a healthier and richer lifestyle.

  • Zainab
    Posted at 23:18h, 06 March

    Going back to the roots is a good solution! Nice article !

  • vidhya
    Posted at 23:52h, 06 March

    SO true! It’s a wonderful and helpful post #Superbloggerchallenge2018 #Instacuppa

    • admin
      Posted at 11:44h, 07 March

      Thank you Vidhya..

  • Sitharaam Jayakumar
    Posted at 13:06h, 07 March

    The point you make about eating food according to seasons is very valid. For example Mangoes are found aplenty in Summers and so is Onion. Chappathi. The point you make about eating according to the region you live in also makes a lot of sense. Very good article telling us about how we can make our kitchen sustainable. #Superbloggerchallenge2018 #Instacuppa

  • V Hari Narayanan
    Posted at 14:34h, 07 March

    The idea of linking food with the season is strongly ingrained in Ayurveda. I hope you can identify the recommended food for the prevailing seasons and write about it.

    • admin
      Posted at 14:39h, 07 March

      Sure! We are working on it…

  • Aritra
    Posted at 15:59h, 07 March

    It is a great post. Ur portrayal of sustenance, as you have rightly pointed out is far from mundane.
    Probably going back to our roots, yet maintaining our newly emerging tastes is the only way.

    Pls read my post for #superbloggerchallenge2018 week 3
    https://www.talestotell.co.in/single-post/2018/03/03/FOODPORN-BY-THE-SOCIAL-JUNKIE-Superbloggerchallenge2018-instacuppa

    • admin
      Posted at 23:35h, 07 March

      Thank you for the comment. Change is inevitable yet we seek sustainance..it’s a paradox

  • richa
    Posted at 16:43h, 07 March

    Everything that we are changing is ultimately leading us back to the original. we are presently going in a circle and it is leading us back to our heritage which we are forgetting with progress. I love the way you’ve linked everything.

    • admin
      Posted at 18:41h, 07 March

      Thank you so much Richa. Some day we all will come back to square one in terms of wholesomeness and nutrition. 🙂 Thank you for your comment.

  • Wiki
    Posted at 17:02h, 07 March

    Hello ,

    I saw your tweet about animals and thought I will check your website. I like it!

    I love pets. I have two beautiful thai cats called Tammy(female) and Yommo(male). Yommo is 1 year older than Tommy. He acts like a bigger brother for her. 🙂
    I have even created an Instagram account for them ( https://www.instagram.com/tayo_home/ ) and probably soon they will have more followers than me (kinda funny).

    I have subscribed to your newsletter. 🙂

    Keep up the good work on your blog.

    Regards
    Wiki

    • admin
      Posted at 18:40h, 07 March

      Thank you so much. Me and shrilekha, the co-author of this blog have a walking buddy called “Caramel”. She is an Indian Mongrel Pup. I have already followed your instagram account. Thank you for subscribing and stopping by.

  • Deepu
    Posted at 20:36h, 07 March

    Thankyou authors. With the existing current trend of our lifestyle and adulterer food I think it is mandate for each of us to stick on to our traditional food in the region which we live. Well thought and we’ll articulated. I consider this as the best Women’s day gift which every girl can treasure. Keep up the good work guys.

    • admin
      Posted at 21:56h, 07 March

      Thank you for the comment Deepu. I m sure you are pretty much sticking to the tradition and the region when it comes to food ..we are those migrated souls who swapped their staples with the staples of the region..

  • Banumathi
    Posted at 21:15h, 07 March

    This is surely an eye opener for those who had forgotten our traditional life style.Any means to boost health is most welcome in these present days of stress and neglect.

    • admin
      Posted at 22:00h, 07 March

      How true! Tradition, season and region gets neglected. Thank you for stopping by and commenting…looking forward to share all the posts …

  • admin
    Posted at 21:56h, 07 March

    Thank you for the comment Deepu. I m sure you are pretty much sticking to the tradition and the region when it comes to food ..we are those migrated souls who swapped their staples with the staples of the region..

  • Ghazala
    Posted at 13:40h, 08 March

    Nice article , I liked the concept of flexibility 🙂
    Which is so important as to maintain some interest in our daily cooking .
    #Superbloggerchallenge2018

    • admin
      Posted at 14:31h, 08 March

      Thank you Ghazala..

  • Parag
    Posted at 23:50h, 08 March

    I totally agree with the fact that “Following our roots is the way to bring back sustainability in our food culture.”
    Just loved your write up.