Sweetness in Indian Cuisine and Culture

1. Sweetness in Indian Cuisine and Culture Presented By DEEPTI GULATI Nutrition and Public Health Consultant

2. Our Sweet Start to Life • What's life without a little sweetness? • Sweets are integral to Indian way of life right from the time we are born • As a newborn, we are welcomed into this world by a traditional prelacteal feed comprising honey or jaggery …. even though the pre-lacteal feeds may be harmful and may lead to diarrhoea in the newborn. • But in majority households, ‘Prelacteals’ are considered essential to: • clean the stomach by aiding easy passage of stool, • keep the baby’s mouth and throat moist, • keep the body warm, • promote rapid growth, and • soothe the baby until the real milk arrives.

3. Influences on Indian Cuisine Indian cuisine is a gift of its diversity of: • Religious beliefs and culture • Cross-cultural interactions • Colonization: British, French and Portugese • Topography of coastal areas, hilly areas and midland plains But one thing that is common in all cuisines is the “Sweetness” • Gujarati, Maharashtrian and Rajasthani cuisine has a sweetness in all its dishes

4. The Indian Cuisine While the Indian cuisine is characterized by a wide assortment of dishes and cooking techniques, reflecting the varied demography and ethnicity; most desserts and special sweets are made with • Milk and milk products, • Grain / lentil flours, • Rice and rice flour • Jaggery and sugar • Sesame seeds, cinnamon dried ginger • Nuts and dry fruits • Fruits etc.

5. Sweetness Through Feasting and Fasting • Festivities and celebrations are a fundamental part of every Indian's life. • The celebrations that start from birth continue all through and Indians do not need a particular reason or a season to celebrate • From January to December, every month comes with a particular fair or festival of one or the other region or religion. Festivals in India always revolve around food and sweets and all thefeasting or fasting has its own special feast and sweets

6. Our Variety in Sweets • Indian meals are never complete without sweets, even if it may be • mukhwas, paan or plain jaggery • Indian sweets vary • Festival-wise • Region-wise • In addition each home will have its own store of: • Fruits preserves, murraba, chutneys • Beverages like thandai, lemon juice, aamras, panna, gudumba, fruit-based milkshakes, jaljeera sharbats, fruit squashes, rooh-afza etc. Common ingredients: milk, rice, yogurt, gram-flour, wheat-flour, sesame seeds, nuts, jaggery, sugar, dried ginger, ghee, rawa, lentils and fruits

7. Science of Sweetness • Sweetness in Indian cuisine has a cultural dimension and a scientific rationale • Season specific sweetmeats are made with ingredients considered important for health • Sushruta Samhita, the ancient Ayurvedic text, dating back to 600 B.C. suggests that foods be varied in taste according to the season so that the use of correct foods in different seasons will presumably prevent diseases • Summer sweets are milk and yoghurt based drinks and dishes flavored with almonds, cardamom etc. • Winter sweets are energy-dense, usually made with grain flours, jaggery, nuts, sesame seeds, dried ginger etc. and cooked with ghee (clarified butter / oil) Jaggery and ghee are common to all traditional sweets

8. Sweetness in Feasting and Fasting Common sweetmeats during the festivals and fasting are: • Laddus (til, boondi and sooji) • Kheer, Paysam, Basundi • Halwa of wheat flour, gram-flour, sooji,carrots etc. • Gajak, rewari and other sweet bars made with sesame seeds, jaggery, • Mango-shakes, thandai, aamras, • Rasgulla, Gulab-jamun, Ras-malai, Barfi • Mishti-doi, Shreekand, Ice-reams and Kulfis • Cakes, Pastries etc.

9. Nutritional Dimension of Sweetness Let us now review to look at the benefits of all the “Sweetness in Indian Cuisine” Jaggery Nutritionally, jaggery, a natural sweetener, is a storehouse of nutrients. It contains glucose and minerals like, calcium, iron, phosphorous, copper etc. and certain B-vitamins, thus giving it a tremendous nutritional and medicinal importance.

10. Nutritional Dimension of Sweetness Sesame seeds These are an excellent source of copper and calcium, and a good source of manganese, iron, phosphorus, thiamin, zinc, vitamin E, protein and fiber.Thus, the Sesame or Til seeds • Have a cholesterol-lowering effect, • Protect the liver from oxidative damage and • Enhance the immune response. High mineral content, in these seeds is helpful in • reducing inflammation and pain caused by rheumatoid arthritis and • providing strength and elasticity in blood vessels, bones and joints

11. Nutritional Dimension of Sweetness Nuts and Dry Fruits These are rich sources of • Energy • Vitamins A, D and Riboflavin • Minerals such as calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium These nutrients help to perform important physiological functions like: • nerve conduction, • blood-clotting, • maintenance of electrolyte balance within cells, • maintenance of normal blood pressure

12. Nutritional Dimension of Sweetness Ginger Dried Ginger is often added to winter sweets to add that special taste and flavour. This has great health value as • It promotes the release of bile, thus aiding the digestion of fat-rich foods, • Prevents dyspepsia and colic. • It is also helpful in arthritis, and • Is considered to have bloodthinning and cholesterol lowering properties.

13. Nutritional and Heath Dimensions of Fasting • Most cultures and religions around the world have practised cleansing, fasting, and detoxification rituals for centuries. • In almost all cultures and traditions common aspects of cleansing practices include • elimination or restriction of certain foods and drinks for a designated period of time; • overall reduction of caloric intake; • inclusion of cleansing, healing, and sacred foods, plants, and herbs; • regular seasons or times for cleansing; • contemplative, religious, or spiritual observance; and • a desire and need to heal and restore body, mind, and spirit.

14. Nutritional and Heath Dimensions of Fasting Every week, there is one or the other ‘Fast’ and every six-months, there are ‘Navratras’. Fasts and Navratras often have religious dimension but there is strong nutritional and health rationale. The fasting body achieves complete physiological rest which allows the body to • repair organs and structures. • It is self-healing. • It cleanses and excretes toxic chemical residue through the skin, urine, bowels, and mouth, thus • ridding our bodies of diseased and degenerating tissues

15. Nutritional and Heath Dimensions of Fasting Detoxification is a normal body process of eliminating or neutralizing toxins through the colon, liver, kidneys, lungs, lymph glands, and skin How does fasting help ? • Detoxifying the body • Preventing oxidative damage • Building up the micronutrient stores, and • Enhancing the immune response

16. Nutritional and Heath Dimensions of Fasting Fasting is part of preventive health care for many ancient cultures. Foods recommended during fasting are: • Sweetmeats • Fruits • Fruit juices • Vegetables • Milk and milk products • Nuts and dry fruits High water content of fruit flushes out the toxin much quicker, and sugars not only give the much needed energy, but will wash the system easier

17. Nutritional and Heath Dimensions of Fasting • Navratra fasts in March help people "lighten up" after a long winter, shed the extra winter fat layer that they acquired feasting on rich sweet and build their immune system to prevent diseases of the summer • Navratra fasts in October prepare the body to cope with cough, cold and and other winter ailments

18. Gastronomic delights ushering in the summer and winter sweetness in Indian homes have rich traditional wisdom and health benefits. So, enjoy feasting on the sweetness, without getting affected from seasonal or long-term ailments. However, remember, “Moderation in Sweetness” is the mantra of disease-free life !

19. Thank you !!