Khana khazana
A Look At Food As The Center Of The Universe And All The Treasure It Holds
Samaira Verma, AIS Vasundhara 1, XI
Nothing says Indian like chai, Italian like pizza, and Korean like kimchi. Our food actually holds so much power – it has flourished lives, and ruined it; developed countries, and plunged them; took us to the next level, and snatched us backwards. This factor, seemingly small compared to the human body that consumes it, is actually what rules us all, no matter what sits on the other side of the tasty seesaw.
Filling the stomachs for…
…society and harmony
To say that food is a mere logistic to making ends meet would be libel. Looking through a magnified glass, we understand that it is a major part of our collective identity. Many communities are now known for the dishes they have gifted the world, and facts stand proof of how well we have accepted these gifts. Why else would Zomato note more than 1.06 crore people in India ordering momos, a non-Indian dish to begin with, in 2021? How else can we explain Britain widely considering chicken tikka masala as their national dish? What else do we need to witness other than Americans eating around 4.5 billion tacos every year, an iconic Mexican snack? Food stores many such long-distance cultural exchange within its history; from believing that Arabs took pasta to fifth-century Sicily to Europeans saving themselves from famine after the introduction of potatoes, food’s passport is stamped with many victorious stories.
Filling the stomachs for…
…success and fame
Not just keeping our stomachs full, food has moved on to keeping our bank accounts full as well. Look at Dharampal Gulati, the MDH masale wale uncle. Who would have thought a poor homeless school drop-out would end up creating a multimillion business with just spices! Kainaz Messman Harchandrai, too, thought her golden days were over when she suffered a back injury at 23, but little did she know that her sweet tooth would end up creating Theobroma, a beloved dessert place that earns a revenue of at least 250 crore INR per year. It was food that made Sanjeev Kapoor and his Khana Khazana a household name. It was food that made masterchefs out of amateurs, and it was food that made multiple success stories, all because food is so much more than just food.
Filling the stomachs for…
…experiment and love
The parable of food, something so inherently elementary due to its vitality, has taken a drastic leap over time. From consuming it as simply as possible in the past, we have now moved on to experimenting with it. Ever heard of chocolate momo, makhani pasta, or gulab jamun burger? Multiple reels on such combos crowd social media – chole bhature waffles, Oreo maggi, fruit chai etc. (yup, they are all real!) But if these items sound not-so-great, there are some that are more appreciated. In fact, various beloved items were created by experiments. Look at the potato chips you are snacking on or the coca cola you sip. The love for food transcends all boundaries, even virtual ones, making a photo of a simple egg the second-most liked photo on Instagram. With the world of food divulging into whole career streams, our world, and everything in it, now spins around food.
Food has noteworthy powers – it can heal issues, cure diseases, change mind’s state, or transform the economy. From carrying down history to forming new connections, food is the center of our universe, and we are actually grateful for that.
