On Tuesday 02 Jun 2009 6:37:52 am Charles Haynes wrote:
> I was shocked - but it's because there's no demand for it. People just
> don't seem to be interested in trying new cuisines, in experimenting.
Absolutely correct.
But the Indian (read "Hindu" here - although the same practices are true of
non Hindus) view of life and heatlh gives food a very important place and the
reputation of food as something that causes disease or maintains health runs
deep among Indians.
Indian food is "known" to be "healthy and nourshing" and tried and tested
(never mind the actual medical theory here) and foreign foods are always
suspect. To add to this pre-existing bias - India food tends to be varied and
delicious.
It takes a lot for an Indian to shift out of Indian food to foreign food. The
fisrt step is to overcome childhood inhibitions imposed by home rules set by
granny as to what is "heatlhy" food. Food are classified in various ways
like "Ushna" ("hot" is a mistranslation), or "sheetha ("cold" is a
mistranslation) Ushna (chillies, chicken) causes piles among other things.
Sheetha (banana, yogurt, coconut water) causes sore throats and cough.
Indian foods are broadly classified as Sattvic, Rajasic or Tamasic - each of
which cause certain boldily and personality changes. Brahmins tend to go for
the Sattvic foods by tradition. Spicy hot food and some meats come under
rajasic food and are said to casue anger and distress. Tamasic food can be
some meats, onions and stale food.
Sattvic vegetarian food prepared today in the brahmin household must not be
eaten tomorrow as it is then tamasic. it can be given to the servant, who
will eat tamasic foods. All foreign foods tend to get their
ingredients "wrong" and are rarely classifiable as good sattvic food.
If a "foreign food" is accepted in India it will be Indianized and then
become "American chopchew" (chop suey) or Chicken Manjuri ("Manchurian")
shiv
