Culinary Systems in India
A woman smiles in anticipation at the Onam feast, the largest festival in the South Indian state of Kerala. The waiter is serving sambar, a thick gravy made of lentils, tamarind, coconut and vegetables.
The Onam feast, called sadya, is served on banana leaves on the floor and is eaten by hand, without utensils. The dishes are elaborate and there is a specific place for each vegetarian dish on the banana leaf. The waiters are volunteers from the community and they serve with a personal touch.
India is a cross-roads of many culinary systems that are largely unknown and inexperienced outside of their communities. “There’s a lot of interest in Indian food around the world and a lack of tools to make sense of it,” says Zilkia Janer, an expert in culinary systems.
A culinary system, says Janer, is more than ingredients, dishes or even chefs. It includes the ideas and way of life that give the food meaning. The lack of such knowledge prevents people from fully experiencing Indian food. Its served in New York or London as “ethnic” food, disconnected from the thinking and social life of the communities from which it originated.
