Dr.(Mrs.) Parineeta P. Deshpande

Every community in India has a distinct food ethos. Most of these have been influenced by the Aryan beliefs and practices. Starting from north and the northwest of India, Vedic ideas gradually spread all over the country, subsuming earlier practices and exerting a strong influence in the cultural beliefs also. Food in Aryan beliefs was not simply a mean of bodily sustenance; it was a part of a cosmic moral cycle. Taittiriya Upanishada states, "from earth sprang herbs, from herbs food, from food seed, from seed man". And Bhagvat Geeta too reflects the same thoughts. In the great Aryan cosmic cycle, the eater, the food he eats and the universe must be in harmony. Built on such exalted premises, the Aryan food culture has influenced the modern food concepts also. The food items mentioned in the vedic period are still in vogue, with slight variations. In a dynamic society where everything tends to change, food habits are no exceptions. Complex preparations are made with the changing time. What once was prepared in a crude manner underwent changes but the basic items of the food are the same.

So, what were the food items actually consumed by the Vedic Aryans? Deductions about food the Harappans ate, are based on the archaeological artefacts, while for the Aryans, the literary works which they produced are excellent sources of information. First and foremost among them is, of course, Rigveda, The cereals and pulses, milk products, vegetables and fruits, oil and oil seeds, salt, spices and condiments, sweet food and beverages used in the Vedic Period are discussed in the present paper and a picture of food culture of Aryans is depicted.