How caste influences food—from cookbooks to public health ft Sylvia Karpagam and Sucharita Kanjilal
Mar 17, 2025
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In a thought-provoking discussion, culinary scholar Sucharita Kanjilal and public health expert Sylvia Karpagam dive into how caste shapes food narratives in India. They explore the rise of diverse cookbooks that reflect both privilege and representation, analyzing their potential to challenge traditional views or reinforce existing divides. The guests also tackle the impact of economic status on dietary practices, the political nuances of food choices, and the necessity of integrating cultural wisdom into public health policies. It's a fascinating look at food as a lens for understanding social justice.
Social media has empowered diverse home chefs in India to share their culinary narratives, expanding the representation beyond traditional celebrity chefs.
The intersection of caste and food continues to influence public health, with dietary restrictions often exacerbating inequalities and health crises among marginalized communities.
Deep dives
The Rise of Home Chefs on Social Media
Social media has significantly transformed the landscape for home chefs, showcasing a diverse array of culinary talents beyond celebrity chefs. Individuals like a woman from Northeast India highlight regional dishes, such as her daily thali that features lesser-known fermented foods. Additionally, a rural Bengal mother-son duo captures attention with their traditional cooking methods on a mud stove, often including fresh fish or chicken. This explosion in food content has expanded culinary narratives and created a platform for various cultural representations in India's dining scene.
Caste and Culinary Representation
The increasing number of cookbooks with caste identifiers, such as the 'Lit Kitchens of Maratwada,' raises questions about the intersection of food and caste in contemporary Indian society. While it can be argued that these cookbooks offer a new cultural signifier, they simultaneously risk reinforcing social divisions rooted in caste hierarchy. The shift in representation allows for a dialogue around previously marginalized culinary practices, yet it may also commodify caste identity, creating consumer trends without addressing the underlying social issues. Scholarly critiques indicate that simply promoting diverse cookbooks does not suffice in dismantling entrenched caste systems; deeper structural changes are required.
Public Health Implications of Food Choices
The conversation around food in India is deeply entwined with public health, particularly relating to dietary restrictions based on caste and access to nutrition. Misguided policies, like promoting vegetarianism without addressing nutritional needs, disproportionately impact marginalized communities leading to health crises like anemia. The imposition of simplistic dietary guidelines fails to account for the diverse eating practices nuanced by socio-economic realities. Moreover, the ethics surrounding food production and the promotion of certain diets can inadvertently marginalize traditional knowledge and exacerbate existing inequalities.
The Complexity of Food Narratives
The podcast highlights the multifaceted nature of food narratives and how they differ across social and geographical spectrums. Discussions regarding tribal foods, vegetarianism, and animal-source foods reveal the socio-political complexities behind food choices rather than mere personal preference. The tendency to either exoticize or shame specific food practices overlooks historical contexts and the lived realities of marginalized communities. A critical takeaway is the need to understand food not just as sustenance but as a reflection of broader social dynamics, challenging the notion of a single narrative in a diverse society.
Social media has revolutionised the world of home chefs, bringing everyday cooks into the spotlight. From a woman in the Northeast showcasing her daily thali of fermented foods to a mother-son duo in rural Bengal cooking over a mud stove, food storytelling is more diverse than ever. Cookbooks are emerging from Dalit kitchens to Saraswat Brahmin traditions, highlighting how caste and cuisine remain deeply intertwined in India. But is this visibility changing the role of caste in food, or merely reinforcing old divides?
In this episode, host Sandip Roy is joined by Dr Sucharita Kanjilal, Assistant Professor of Anthropology at Bard College, and Dr Sylvia Karpagam, a public health doctor and researcher to discuss how food continues to shape identity, social boundaries, and even public health in India.
Edited and mixed by Suresh Pawar
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