With bans on beef dominating the public discourse this year, there has been a renewed debate on India’s food habits. At a talk delivered at the 2015 edition of Tata Literature Live, author and mythology expert Devadutt Pattanaik goes back in time to trace the origins of India’s food habits.

From communal meals to the evolution of the thali to why we choose to fast, Pattanaik recounts myths and stories and uses metaphors to provide a better understanding of our thinking on food. But are the philosophies of ancient India relevant to the food debates and battles today?



This is the latest episode of The Real Food Podcast, a fortnightly podcast on Audiomatic.

For more such podcasts visit audiomatic.in.