In the poetry of Amir Khusrau, food is served with style and flourish

Through food references, the great poet shone indirect light on the society and culture of India in the 13th and 14th century.

Priyadarshini Chatterjee

· Sep 20, 2023 · 11:30 am

The story of how Hindus stopped distrusting biscuits and began eating them

By yielding to caste rules at the turn of the 19th century, the ‘Hindu biscuit’ ended up subverting them.

Priyadarshini Chatterjee

· Sep 05, 2023 · 11:30 am

Carrots and sticks: How food was used to oppress Indian sailors on colonial ships

For centuries, European shipowners hired lascars as cheap labour, paying them little and feeding them even less.

Priyadarshini Chatterjee

· May 20, 2023 · 11:30 am

Dongmo, charoti, saikala: The ingenuity of India’s little-known cookware

Modern utensils are not always up to the task in an Indian kitchen.

Priyadarshini Chatterjee

· May 11, 2023 · 11:30 am

How food came to the rescue of the British in India

To cope with the heat and diseases in a distant land, the British looked for remedies in the pantry.

Priyadarshini Chatterjee

· Apr 26, 2023 · 11:30 am

A 152-year-old bazaar in Kolkata holds the history of Bengali mishti’s evolution

The sweet shops of Natun Bazar have preserved, wittingly or unwittingly, the milestones in the development of Bengali sweets.

Priyadarshini Chatterjee

· Mar 16, 2023 · 11:30 am

The chequered history of a ‘dangerous dal’ eaten by the poor across India

The story of khesari dal is a reminder of how the rich oppress the poor in India.

Priyadarshini Chatterjee

· Feb 25, 2023 · 11:30 am

What can we learn about Bengali women’s complex relationship with food from bratas?

These observances prove that the idea of feminine propriety has not been entirely abandoned.

Priyadarshini Chatterjee

· Jan 28, 2023 · 11:30 am

A search across India for food that is cooked on stones

From Kerala to Ladakh, hot stones are used creatively by a few families and communities to grill, roast and bake.

Priyadarshini Chatterjee

· Jan 21, 2023 · 11:30 am

In Sukumar Ray’s hilarious poems, food was always served with a side of commentary

The pioneer of literary nonsense in India wrote at a time when British officials’ gluttony had became an object of ridicule.

Priyadarshini Chatterjee

· Dec 20, 2022 · 11:30 am

When turtle soup was a marker of social status in India

For the colonists and certain Indian communities, the rich and luxurious delicacy was the very apogee of good food.

Priyadarshini Chatterjee

· Dec 03, 2022 · 11:30 am

From teabags to spinach extract: Indians have always found creative dyes to colour their food

After all, it’s the eyes that feast first.

Priyadarshini Chatterjee

· Nov 19, 2022 · 11:30 am