What is the connection between Indian rice and Italian pasta? European traders used to wrap fish in black pepper while traveling by sea

New Delhi: It is said that the way to everyone’s heart is through his/her stomach. The mantra of Tummy to Heart is to eat food with a smile on the face. The best way to do this is to add a little sweetness of love to your food along with salt. Food has been used for centuries to improve mutual relations in the world. Today, words like kitchen diplomacy, culinary diplomacy, gastro diplomacy or food diplomacy have come into vogue. Food diplomacy is officially used in countries like America, India, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Israel, Cambodia, Thailand and Peru. Many important agreements are discussed at the dining table.

The Portuguese brought tomatoes, chillies and potatoes

Today, there is hardly any house where tomatoes, chillies and potatoes are used. These three are proudly displayed in every fridge. Small children are taught the first lesson of tomato from T and potato also becomes the king of vegetables and sings songs on YouTube kids channel. You will be surprised to know that even though these three rule your kitchen today, they were not present in India till 300 years ago. These three were brought by the Portuguese during the colonial period.

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The trend of culinary diplomacy started in the 21st century

The trend of culinary diplomacy or gastrodiplomacy started from the beginning of the 21st century. It was made popular by scholars like Paul Rockover and Sam Chappel-Sokol. In 2002, an article was published in the Economist, titled – Thai Kitchen of the World Program. Both these terms were mentioned in it. In 2011, the term gastrodiplomacy started trending in an article published in a Taiwanese journal. Rockover and Chappel said in their article that relations between two countries can be strengthened through food. Kitchen diplomacy was seen in the Agra Summit of 2004, when the leaders of India and Pakistan gathered in Agra. It was food that broke the wall of silence between the two countries at that time.

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Marco Polo laid the foundation of the relationship between India and Italy

Cultural relations between India and Italy date back more than a thousand years to the time when Italian traveller Marco Polo arrived on the Coromandel Coast of India via Central Asia. Marco Polo arrived in India during the Pandya rule of Madurai in 1288-1292.

Rice and pasta have formed a strong bond over the years

Just like rotis are eaten with gravy vegetables in North India, polenta and rice dishes are eaten in North Italy. In South India, coconut chutney and delicious dishes made in its oil are famous. Sea food is also eaten with great relish in South India. In South Italy, things made in olive oil are eaten. Fresh sea food is also everyone’s favourite. Today, Italian pasta and pizza are the favourites of every household in the world including India.

Merchants used to travel by sea by wrapping fish in spices

India’s food is very rich in the world and is full of diversity. All kinds of spices have been used in its food. Famous historian Ziauddin Barni has written that since the time of Indus civilization, i.e. for 5 thousand years, fish wrapped in Indian spices were taken to Iraq-Iran and Europe. This prevented these fish from getting spoiled.

India is feeding the world a dish made from millets

Last year, when the G-20 was held in India, India welcomed its foreign guests with millet products. Millet dishes were served to the guests. Among the vegetarian dishes, millet halwa, paratha, khichdi and pakoras were served with curd and spicy chutney. In the research ‘The Culinary Diplomacy: Enhancing India’s Soft Power’, Dr. Anita Bhatt, Professor of Political Science at Gargi College of Delhi University, has written that India has developed the use of food to make itself a soft power in the world.

Kitchen diplomacy increases with the movement of ambassadors and travelers

The sugar, which we Indians frown upon today and call the root of all diseases, was also brought to India by the Portuguese. Before the use of refined sugar, we Indians used to sweeten our food with jaggery, fruits and honey. The coming and going of foreign ambassadors or the going of traders from one country to another has been promoting food diplomacy.

Tandoori roti received from refugees of Afghanistan

When Hindu refugees living in Afghanistan came to India, they brought a type of oven i.e. tandoor. Due to this, tandoori started being used in Indian cuisine.

Indians got addicted to tea after the arrival of the British

Until 200 years ago, we Indians did not drink tea. During the British rule in the world, when China lost control over tea and sugar, the British started cultivating tea in the northeastern states. The British wanted to capture the tea trade, but they made us Indians so addicted to tea that no one can get rid of it today.

I also got the habit of eating with a fork and knife

The arrival of the British was beneficial in the sense that Indian food started being discussed in other parts of the world. But they also taught us a modern way of eating. They told us the manners of sitting at the table and eating with a fork and knife. Today, the etiquette of eating is taught even in the highest administrative services of the country.

The journey of Indian spices is more than 7 thousand years old

Food expert and historian KT Achaya writes in his/her book ‘Indian Food: A Historical Companion’ that rice based food has been prepared in India from north to south. he/she tells that the form of rice based idli that we see today actually came from Indonesia, where it was called Kedli. It is believed that around 1000 years ago when the Cholas ruled South India, the practice of rotting rice and making idli from it must have started.

A bloody war was fought between Britain, Portugal and France for spices

You will be surprised to know that when the era of enslaving countries began, the real war was fought over Indian spices. Many bloody wars were fought between Portugal, Spain, France, Holland and Great Britain to capture Indian spices, especially black pepper. This war started from the era of Indus Valley Civilization, when spices were traded to Rome, Arabia and Mesopotamia i.e. Iraq.

Mughals’ biryani is very popular, curd and saffron are used

Before the British, the biryani of the Mughal era became very popular. Although Columbus discovered the new world in the form of America for spices, the real success was achieved by Vasco da Gama, who brought Indian spices to Europe and America. The Mughals enriched the food of India even more. While using Indian spices in food, they added curd, roasted onion and saffron to it, due to which its fragrance reached outside India, which remains even today. The aromatic biryani of the Mughals is still very popular.