IMPORTANCE OF TRADITIONAL FOOD SYSTEM

ShripadBhat
Assistant Professor,
D.V.Gundappaadyana Kendra,
Tumkur University, Tumkur 572 103
ABSTRACT
According to Indian Philosophy, Anna or food is an aspect of Brahman. It is
a gift from Paramatma. So, it should be treated with great respect. The
physical body is called AnnamayaKosha, i.e. food body, because body
nourished and grows by absorbing the energies from food. Food should be
eaten for the survival and strength of the body, but not for pleasure. Fasting
is another aspect of traditional food system. It is meant to purify the mind
and the body. These traditional food concepts have been changed
drastically in our society because of our contemporary lifestyle. The
various aspects of traditional food system has been recorded in ancient
scriptures, literature and as well as in oral narratives of folk. We may find
special food items and many dietary varieties in Karnataka. These varieties
have a number of little used; uncommon vegetables with perceived health
benefits. Key traditional staple food and other food groups such as nuts,
seeds, wild fruits and vegetables used in the diet are area specific.
Traditional food system plays a significant role in maintaining the well-
being and health of Indigenous People. Yet, evidence abounds showing that
the traditional food base and knowledge of Indigenous People are being
eroded. This has resulted in the use of fewer species, decreased dietary
diversity due to household food insecurity and consequently poor health
status. The knowledge of the traditional food system can change this
scenario. Awareness created on traditional food system can contribute to
create a healthy society to build strong nation. The traditional knowledge
of food is considered to be the best for particular geographical condition.
Changing food pattern can damage the good health of the society. So, it is
vital to know the importance of good food habits of our own tradition and
balanced diet. In this chapter, importance of traditional foods like staple,
special, seasonal, region specific and their methods will be discussed.

Key words: Tradition, food, nutrients,

Introduction

A food system which has a long tradition would never be changed

immediately. Change of place, change of career would be the reasons
for this to happen. Apart from these, political and historical reasons
may also cause changes in a particular food system, thereby creating
society’s health and total food insecurity. We can identify some of the
important reasons for the change in traditionally developed food sequence.
In the recent times, the adverse impact of changed traditional food
system is being seriously considered by all those whose are socially
concerned. “The traditional vegetables and food means have become so
facile to us during the last four centuries. Which means, generally, instead
of our own food means we have more attached to the glamour of
foreign commodities. Therefore, there is a shortage of means of
vitamins which were naturally provided to the body through
vegetables, green grass, seed, and spice materials”1. This upholds the
concern over the changed food system in our society and its impact. There
have been constant efforts to gain attention towards changed traditional
food system and also the impact of health and social problems caused by it.
A research study has been conducted by National Botanical Research
Institute on this subject. “Our hospitality during festivals and other special
occasions had included the subtle thought of providing necessary vitamins,
contented balanced food and shadrasas’ according to the seasons. It is true
that, 400 years ago, before Europeans coming to us our food substances
had been chosen according to our tastes. More importantly, there used to
be wisdom as to adopting vitamins which had medicinal quality to protect
health. But now, due to the influence of alien food habits, problems
have been triggered causing shortage of vitamins required for the
growth of the brain. Shortage of required vitamins in the development
of the brain can be clearly seen in decreased creativity, quest for
cogitation among Indian children.

But, the research shows that the attitude of the quest for cogitation
remained firmly among 10 to 15% of citizens who have retained the old
food system. Both World Food and Agriculture organizations have
expressed more anxiety in this regard. Indispensable ingredients of our
cooking such as neem, tamarind, pepper etc., have also become boring
to us nowadays. Instant spices are available at the doorsteps! Besides,
the vegetables that come from the other countries have become more
recommendable than that are available in our own hometowns. Not
only that, cool drinks, chips that have been rejected by the intelligent
lot as junk foods in foreign countries have been liked most.

Apart from this, there is an increasing tendency of using

processed food with artificial chemicals than naturally available food
materials, directly gifted by the nature. Totally, the nutritious foods
from this soil that is necessary for our new generation is not made
available due to the changes in food culture.

According to our traditional knowledge, region and season

specific foods which have been prepared by means of local fiber roots,
roots, fruits, leafy vegetables, vegetables and grass are necessary for
us2.

This research does not stop here. Further, it provides caution against
eating roasted, fried foodstuff. “Eating deeply fried eatables made out of
potato and other such foods, containing glucose would lead to cancer due
to the formation of acryl amide. China has taken an intelligent step on this
issue. It has enacted a law way back in 1956 and made it mandatory to have
good nutritious food available in the locality3.
There have been various reasons for the changes in food
consumption methods. Maslow, an eminent scholar who studied the human
mellowness has advocated a theory. It may be significant to mention here.
He divides fundamental human needs into physical needs those are
essential for leading life and those which require social dependency and
self awareness. His doctrine advocates that if minimum satisfaction can’t be
attained through necessary supply, human desire of searching for new
things arises and that shall be the root cause for encouragement. Human
beings turn towards others only when they can’t derive satisfaction from
one. Generally these wants go up in the sequence of survival, security,
dependency or shelter, prestige and self awareness. The process reverses
when there is a dissatisfaction4.
Man eats any kind of food when his main desire is to survive.
Food is the only ultimate immediate necessity of that moment. It is
fundamental. After fulfilling this desire, there arises the necessity of
security. When hunger arises, ensuring sufficient food is stocked, is the
necessity of food security. Once economic condition is improved, the
individual scales the necessity phases one by one. Man becomes nervous
because of insecurity of food during natural disasters and devastating
situations like wars. Once the fundamental necessity of hunger and
security desires are achieved, man can’t keep quite. Even regarding food, he
starts contributing towards psychological necessity. Varieties in food,
creating various tastes, making art out of that etc., come during the next
phase.
There are so many reasons for the change in the food system. More
important among them are ecology, science and technological
advancement and economic conditions. Geographical condition alone
plays an important role in the food system of a particular region. Some
communities from some coastal regions in Uttara Kannada use more sea
foods such as fish, crab, prawns etc. Vegetarian food is mandatory in
Brahmin community. Though, non vegetarian food is prohibited among
them, the GowdaSaraswat Brahmins use fish and other seafood. It is not
prohibited in their community. They do not consider fish as non-
vegetarian. Apart from this all other non-vegetarian food is not accepted
by them.

Science and Technology also contribute to changing of food

habits. When there was no refrigerator, we can observe that folk
groups gave more attention to protect easily perishable food items
such as milk, vegetables and other such consumables. We can find that
they had followed more procedures particularly for protecting such goods.
Rules such as ‘don’t keep other food items with rice items, don’t touch
other food without washing hands while you touch rice items, don’t keep
non-vegetarian food items with the vegetarian items. These have been
gradually vanished after the existence of the refrigerator.

Economic conditions also play an important role in changing the

food system. Economically backward tribes such as Siddi community
living in the Western Ghats of Karnataka do not have their own food
systems. In situations like pay only money to get food, more importance
has been given to money and basic needs of fulfilling hunger becomes more
important. In such conditions it is very difficult for an economically
backward community to retain its own traditional food system. These folks
can only enjoy the traditional food on special occasions like festivals and
other celebrations with great difficulty.
Food system has also undergone changes due to the impact of
urbanization. If you consider Bangalore, from Meck’schiken to Masala
Dosa, Afghan roti to jowar roti, pure Dravidian puliyogare to Humas of the
Middle East, everything is available here5. Many people, even if they are not
hungry, want to taste food for mere enjoyment. It depends on the
individual’s appetite. Hotels and food avenues in metros sell varieties
depending on the individual tastes of those who have money. Other
matters pertaining to food are not important for such food industry.
People from all regions do live in metros. Because of geographical
reason, it may not be possible to prepare traditional food for all due to non
availability of means of their food. So hotels and food avenues strive to
attract such consumers. Thus, in Bangalore traditional food courts
providing North Karnataka region specific foods such as jowar roti, brinjal
salad, varieties of chilly powders, ball meals, sambar prepared by various
grass, sprouted seeds, have gained more demand. Previously, ball meals
were not made available in hotels. But now it has a special place in the
menus of all food avenues starting from fast food stalls to five star hotels.
Donne biryani, kheema, pork, Maratha style, Hyderabad style, sea foods of
Karavali and so on… there is no end for tasty food in Bangalore6.

Fast food has become an inevitable part of the hectic lifestyle of

metros. It provides for the immediate need of appetite but at the same
time aggravates the worry of health care.
The variety of traditional food systems in India speak about the
richness of the food availability here. As foreign attacks have its own
impact on the land, it has also affected local people’s behavior, thought and
food. Many foreign groceries, vegetables started growing in India. How
brinjal of Southern America, guava, chayote, jowar, chilly etc. became
popular here, how they got a place in the native food and medicines,
gradually, what were the social, political reasons behind them etc. have
been mentioned in detail with pictorial description by Mr. B.G.L. Swamy in
his book “NammaHotteyalliDakshina America”7. (South America in our
stomach).
 Historian Will Durant documents that all regions here had richness of
food till Britishers came to India8. “Till 1757, whoever may have ruled
India; there had been no deficiency of food grains delivery to the people
even for a year. Later resources of India had been looted like anything and
even if the total of it would have been invested in India, it could have been
4000crore dollars! India, once, one of the richest countries, had become a
very poor country because of their loot. As a result, India faced terrible
famines frequently, which were never heard in its history or globally,
Durant documented with proofs. Before the British how India was self
sufficient in food security and through that formed its own cultural
resources would be learnt by his descriptions. After one or two centuries
how it became poorer could be clearly felt”.
This inscription effectively brings outs how political stands play a
major role in food fortification and how food poverty makes total society,
culture and whole civilization suffer poverty.
Food security has become a major problem for administration during
post independent days. Agriculture had been given much importance in five
year plans and initiatives to fight against hunger and achieving security
started through Green Revolution, White Revolution. Many researches,
studies have been undertaken and still have been continuing9-10. All these
have thrown light on the present scenario of food and related challenges in
India.
To achieve food security for all has become the national aim since
1947. Towards achieving this goal the government has undertaken
programmes such as RastreeyaKrishiVikasYojana( Rs.25,000 crore),
National Food Security Programme (Rs. 6000 crore), National Horticulture
programmes (in which Rs.22,000 crore has not been utilized still).

However, the food grain production witnessed 0.11% growth every

year since 1891 to 1946 and goods produced other than food witnessed
yearly growth of 1.37%. But this ratio was not enough to meet the demands
of rapidly increasing population. Because of this reason food deficiency
highlighted in the nation. In recent years, the concept of food security has
witnessed many quantitative changes. In olden days, the system that
provided people with minimum food grains that were available physically
used to be considered as food security11. Food security has been described
in the following manner:
 “Providing necessary food throughout the year, physically and
economically for all people, for productive and healthy life is called food
security”, said the World Bank way back in 1986.12
“Food security means availability of food to all people of the world
without the deficiency of nutrients and capacity to harmonize with the use
of nature based means: effective and availability of food produced at a very
low cost”, declared the International Food Regulatory Research
Organization in the year 2002.

This statement efficiently advocates the importance and necessity of

traditional food system.

End Note:
1. EshwarDaitota, SoojiMallige, Aronada, Bangalore, 2010, P.10.
2. –ibid, P.62-63.
3. –ibid.
4. Maslow A H, Motivation and Personality, Harper & Row, New York,
1954
5. Vijaya Next, Kannada Weekly, December 3-9, 2010, P.4.
6. –ibid.
7. Swamy B.G.L, NammaHotteyalliDakshinaAmerika, Bangalore
University, 1991.
8. Will Durant, The Case for India, ShivannaDoddaHanumantayya
(trans), MuttajjanaBhavyaBharata, Stand Book Stall, Bangalore,2009
9. Yojana, A Development Monthly Magazine, Food Security, Special
issue, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of
India, October 2010.
10. Yojana, A Development Monthly Magazine, Indian Agriculture
at the deciding stage, Special issue, Ministry of Information and
Broadcasting, Government of India, January 2011.
11. Yojana, A Development Monthly Magazine, Ministry of
Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, October 2010,
Pg-6
12. -ibid.