By Ritika Soun
Food in terms of its scientific definition is any nourishing substance that is eaten, drunk, or otherwise taken into the body to sustain life, provide energy, promote growth, etc. One of the other definitions of food is that it is understood to be the source of physical survival and bodily strength; indeed, food is synonymous with life itself. Additionally, food also has a medicinal and restorative value attached to it. If an individual is asked about food, then his/her definition might be very broad and might be of a generic understanding, i.e. ‘something to enjoy’, ‘a relaxation activity’, or ‘something that satisfies the heart more than the stomach’, and the list goes on.
Eating or food – both these terms are not new, the only difference from then to now can be that the way it has been perceived and seen has changed over the years. This change is not a product of a single aspect but a conflation of many aspects and societal elements. We all have been seeing food as a necessity. But what if I were to tell you that it has a more nuanced meaning and many forms? Will it compel you to think otherwise? To trace this argument further, even the Vedic ideology has presented it in an association with terms like – ‘brutal’ and ‘materialistic’. The Vedic ideology has furthermore used it and presented it as a tool to organize the society into a hierarchical order, similar to the natural world which has provided us with the hierarchically ordered food chain. We also find the association of food with – wealth and status, and domination, i.e. domination over that which could be eaten. For instance, the brahmins are said to be the eaters of the Kshatriyas, however, not in the literal sense. This brings us to the fact that food is also associated with superiority and hierarchy.
Another notion or concept that surrounds ‘food’ is the concept of vegetarianism and non-vegetarianism. Even if we do not take it from our ancient texts, we still find this concept strengthening day by day. The neo-notional theory around this is the fact that vegetarianism has often been associated with ‘nonviolence’ and ‘purity’; while on the other hand, non-vegetarianism has been associated with ‘violence’ and ‘pollution’. This makes food not merely a gustatory activity but rather a political notion; dragging food from a personal space to a public space, where then it is easier to question and judge an individual based on his/her dietary habits and choices. For instance, the ones who consume vegetarian food are considered to be purer, non- violent and more humane. On the other hand, the ones who consume non-vegetarian food are considered to be more violent, aggressive and lesser humane. This brings us to the point that food has a range of functions in addition to the primary function of nourishment or acting as a pastime for personal indulgence – as a focus for socializing with family, friends, and others and in contributing to a general sense of individual and national well-being. As from ancient days to modern times, food taste preferences have been closely linked to cultural development(s).
Food and eating activities, from growing to preparing food, are an integral part of everyday lives in some form or another and are common in all cultures. However, the Indian subcontinent adds a spice of othering when it comes to food of one community or cultural group over the other. For instance, the lynching events that we have encountered lately are a solid indicator of how we can even find ways to indulge in the process of othering through food. This was brought into light with the issue raised over the consumption of beef. To intervene in debates on the consumption of beef in India is to partake complex inter-connected discourses on the sacredness of the cow, the attendant taboo on the consumption of beef, as well as the significance of the cow as a symbol of the difference between communities. However, it is not just the case of Indians residing within the Indian Territory but is also connected to the Indians residing abroad. For instance, whenever one has to move away from the Indian soil, there is a presence of ‘food anxiety’ where he/she is worried about the type of food they will have to consume. This is inherent anxiety amongst the Indian minds – intentional or unintentional. Therefore, it is clear that in an Indian context, food is much more than sustenance-what a person ingests shapes and reshapes that person’s identity and character daily. For instance, the diet has an important place in Jain critiques of other religious groups, as well as in their self-identity. The relationship between food and identity grows more complex every day owing to globalization and the accompanying movement of peoples, cultures, and capital defines new ideological and sensory frontiers.
Food is central to the understanding of any culture; how it is caught, farmed, cleaned, processed, cooked and eaten are symbolic of different kinds of meaning at many different levels. Food in India has been and is a marker of identity, of caste, of class, of family, purity, kinship, tribe affiliation, parity, lineage, religious group, ethnic group, and increasingly of secular group identification, such as colleague and friend. The cliché ‘you are what you eat’ is pertinent in the Indian social-scape. In the broth of globalization, where India is a pizza base which is seasoned by borrowed cultural forms, resisting cultural imperialism and homogenizing it; is a difficult act of managing traditions and change.
Food is the first, most constant and universal need, of humankind, which one likes to enjoy rather than to feel pressurized by what he/she is consuming. Much less an individual wants to get her/his morals, values and characters get judged by the same. The society already has many established criteria to issue the character certificate – we do not want to be the one adding a new element to it with ‘food’. So, let us just eat and enjoy and savour it rather than spoiling it.
Ritika is a museum enthusiast and likes to explore the diverse arts, culture and heritage of India. Living in a country which has been the storehouse of history in its every nook and crannies, it becomes really difficult for her to remain aloof from it for long. She believes that the community needs to know about this and this is what she is striving to achieve.