Indian culture, the impact of food on the culture, and what their food means to the world

 Indian culture, the impact of food on the culture, and what their food means to the world

Introduction

There are vital factors that determine and influence people, whether in the family setup, community, or country. These factors are culture and religion. States are made up of different faiths and cultures, and so is the world. There are some countries where the majority of the population belongs to the same religion. People are brought up in different cultures, and these standards are passed from one generation to another. According to Swadimath et al. (90), culture refers to norms, rules of conduct, values, traditions, and they determine individuals’ habits reflecting their personality. Culture thus consists of the ways that people think and act as members of society.

The behavior and practices influenced by culture define what an institution or a particular group in society. Culture determines how people feel and view themselves and others. It can be categorized into two: material and non-material. Material aspects include goods, modes of production, instruments, social activities, while non-material elements are beliefs, myths, literature, ritual, among others. Different regions in the world have different cultures. The paper seeks to discuss Indian culture, the impact of food on the culture, and what their food means to the world.

Indian culture

India is a densely populated country with a variety of topographical features and climatic conditions. According to the article posited by Cultural India on their website, India inhabits ancient civilizations and some world religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Catholics, Jainism, and Sikhism. The Indians have maintained their culture both at home country and abroad. This is despite the influence of other cultures in places where they live. Through their traditional norms, a person can quickly identify an Indian from other people.

Indian culture is one of the oldest and unique customs in the world. Cultural India opines that India comprises of diverse cultures with South and the North having being distinct. It has varying styles and influences, depending on the region. Cultural India website further posits that Festivities in the Indian culture are characterized by color, rituals, celebrations, and prayers. The way the people of the North and South prepare cuisine is different. On matters of music, the Indian people tend to have similar traditional classical music, which includes the Carnatic and Hindustani.

Regarding the communication pattern, Garwick (177) finds that most Indians use their native languages, Dakota, Ojibwe, and Lakota, to communicate. Additionally, there are native nonverbal communication styles: indirect eye contact and silence. To the Indians, indirect eye contact is a sign of respect and not a lack of interest or rudeness. The parents teach their children these communication patterns, and it identifies them with their culture.

The fundamental principles of the culture in ancient times and today remain the same. It can be identified with the caste systems. Caste is a collection of intermarried or intra-married groups with a general name whose members are heredity. Each rank creates its own rules and performs a similar function. Another characteristic of the culture is the norm of the joint family upheld by most Indians. An individual may not live in a joint household, but the idea of a joint family is still favored. To the Indians, the family is the defining component of their culture. With the country being divided into North and South, the cultural unity in diversity is recognized and respected.

Impact of food on the Indian culture

Indian culture is a crucial facet of their existence that usually determines food preference. According to Mekoth, Nandakumar, and Albino, food language enhances good morals, contextualizes, and challenges the non-cultural dialect of neoliberal economics (192). It identifies particular people, where they come from, and methods of cooking. Like other cultures, food is one of the symbols associated with a specific group of people. The traditional food habits of Indians are primary components of their culture, and the cultural diversity is reflected in the various methods used to prepare traditional food. Some of the traditional food for Indians include Gujarati Food, Mughlai Cuisine, Rajasthani, wheat, rice, and Bengali, Srinivasan (57).

Food determines the kind of rituals being performed. Food consumption has a strong cultural element in that the traditions of the Indian people influence it. A particular ceremony is associated with the specific food that is to be prepared and eaten. The occasions are repeated yearly and are transferred from one generation to another. Besides, beauty, health, social prestige, and physical strength influence the type of food to be eaten.

Food identifies their culture. Food is an essential element in the construction of a distinct cultural identity, and it holds meaning for Indians as a symbol, a sign of communication, and a class marker. Food behaviors are viewed as the culturally standardized set of norms regarding food manifested by members brought up within a given cultural tradition, Mekoth, Nandakumar, and Albino (194). For Indians, food habits are a component of culture influencing food decisions.

Additionally, the food consumption patterns of the Indian people affect the tourists who visit their country. Mekoth, Nandakumar, and Albino argue that travelers who are novelty seekers prefer to try out the food consumed by the Indians unless they restricted by their religion. Except for tourists who have unique dietary habits for physical or religious reasons, which may prevent them from enjoying the local food, most of them consume Indian cuisine. The visitors like Indian food because it is traditionally prepared with different spices.

Food rekindles home memories. According to the study by D’Sylva and Brenda (284), Indian people who migrated to other countries still practice their culture in those places. Indian women are responsible for preparing food. The participants in the study confirmed that cooking traditional food evoked home thoughts and a sense of belonging. The taste, smell, and texture of the food reminded them of delightful memories. It evoked memories of the birthplace as well as the ancestral homeland they are identified with. It does not matter which place they migrated; for them, food was the taste of home; it connects their culture and soul. This demonstrates how they value food and culture.

Food is used as a tool for cultural transmission. Women in India do most of the food work, and they acquire the skill of cooking from their mothers. This entails girls watching as the mothers cook and also help in light chores. Others learn it from their grandmothers. The process of learning by watching means imparting social and cultural lessons. Watching how food is prepared and embodied learning, creates a sense of importance about the activity, establishing the spirit of good cooking, and one feels elevated to special status in the family. By learning cookery skills, girls were, in turn, expected to replicate them in their homes after getting married.

What Indian food means to the world

Food can denote ethnic, regional, and national identity. When a group is marginalized by race, ethnicity, language, or religion, food often takes on distinct meaning as a way of transmitting cultural traditions and identities. Different ethnic groups have various rituals and distinct food choices associated with them. Food choices are structured according to sociocultural factors between preferences and age, birthplace, among others. Ethnic food habits are thus associated with a geographically as well as ancestrally defined eating community. Therefore, food plays a profound role in culture and should be preserved and passed to the coming generations.

Another significant aspect of Indian food is that it can be used as a tool for learning. According to Indian women, they do not just prepare and consume food but rather use it to train girls about cooking, and they are supposed to practice once they get their homes. Communities should use traditional ceremonies to educate young people on the importance of culture, gender roles, and other aspects of society.

Conclusion

Culture has a significant impact on society. It influences power relations and decision making within the family and community. Acquisition of experience can be attributed to two aspects that are passing cultural values from one generation to another, and it is a shared phenomenon. Food is an essential medium through which parents can impart crucial cultural knowledge, habits, skills, and ethnic values to their children. It does identify not only a particular culture but also unifies members of the community.