Historian Alka Pande launches book on food that promises to be an eye opener  for food lovers

Historian Alka Pande, in a new book, embarks on a rediscovery of the romance of indigenous foods of India that risk being lost because of greater exposure to international cuisine and heightened “diet-consciousness.”

“Mukhwas: A book on Indian Food Through the Ages” is a personal attempt at untangling various strands of India’s rich food and culture based on the premise that food is one of the great unifying topics in India.

The book was launched Tuesday by French ambassador to India Francois Richier. Pande shared secrets of indigenous food wisdom.

“We have stopped using buckwheat, bajra and so many other things that you will rediscover in this book,” Pande told IANS, adding that her attempt was “romancing of food, politics of food and process of rediscovering things we have given up on.”

She regretted the figure consciousness of youth, saying, “We have a diet-conscious audience, into zero-size figure, with no understanding of food that flourished in the bylanes of our country.”

Pande said hers was more than a coffee table book and would be an eye opener for food lovers in the country.

“You will read about food for every season. So this is a cultural celebration of sorts for a country that enjoys festivals as much as feasting,” she said.

Pande has studied history and art history and served as a cultural theorist and teacher.

Donate To The Indian Sun

Dear Reader,

The Indian Sun is an independent organisation committed to community journalism. We have, through the years, been able to reach a wide audience especially with the growth of social media, where we also have a strong presence. With platforms such as YouTube videos, we have been able to engage in different forms of storytelling. However, the past few years, like many media organisations around the world, it has not been an easy path. We have a greater challenge. We believe community journalism is very important for a multicultural country like Australia. We’re not able to do everything, but we aim for some of the most interesting stories and journalism of quality. We call upon readers like you to support us and make any contribution. Do make a DONATION NOW so we can continue with the volume and quality journalism that we are able to practice.

Thank you for your support.

Best wishes,
Team The Indian Sun