Reader\'s Digest IN 02.2020

COVER STORY

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T

he political map of India de-

marcating 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 con-

fined 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 im-

bibing 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 con-

tribute to a mesmerizing melody.

The zones of taste are easily identi-

fied by the staple cereals: rice, wheat or

millets; preferred cooking mediums—

mustard, sesame, peanut or coconut

The Great

Indian Food

Symphony

Cuisines from different regions of our country are like

musical notes that create a mesmerizing melody

By Pushpesh Pant