Food and Culture Assignment 2022

Food and Culture
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The Meal
Food is the part and parcel of any living object. Human being, with its expertise in all segments
of life, had proved the effective research in human foods. The outcome of such research fulfils
the need of food in different pattern. Food has its changing trend depending upon the
geographical location and availability of resources. Food culture of any region also depends upon
the ethnicity trend and respective social values for the community.
The chosen food for my assignment is the special dish named Basanti Pulao made from rice.
(Anindya, 2017) This food is meant for some special occasions in Indian Bengali ethnicity, and
is now spreading all over the world with its ritual value and superb taste. Although this dish is
made and served in different restaurants and other food making services, Basanti Pulao has
special significance in Indian Bengali ethnicity to celebrate any special occasion at home like
birthdays and auspicious celebration like offering to gods. Mainly the recipe of this food item is
known globally with special attraction amongst the sub-continent ethnicity. But the same is made
at our home with some special touch of expertise by our senior female members like
grandmother. This dish is treated as especially auspicious during festive season and is
traditionally made at home. The recipe followed for this dish is not as per website; instead the
same is carried over by generation with traditional learning and executing model empowered by
old traditional value. This meal has significant values in offering to gods during auspicious
prayers and it is made with specially fixed guideline and without any non-vegetarian
interference.
Food and ingredients
This food is made with basic ingredients of Basmati Rice. Other ingredients are dry fruits,
saffron, green cardamom, bay leaf, cloves, cinnamon, sugar, milk and ghee, which is known as
clarified butter. First step is to half boil the rice with ingredients except saffron dipped in milk
and ghee. Then the same is being dried up. The ingredients like ghee, sugar and dry fruits are
then added to the half-boiled rice with some water steaming in low heat. This is the rigorous part
of the preparation process, as continuous observation and checking is required during this stage
of cooking pulao. Saffron is to be kept in small quantity of milk when the rice is cooked with
other ingredients like ghee and dry fruits. Saffron, dipped in milk, is applied to add color and
unique flavor. Saffron is earlier put in a small quantity of milk to get it softened with extraction
of color from it in the milk. This saffron is applied in the last stage of preparation of pulao. This
dish is made with pure cleanliness and the same is being offered to gods in special occasion like
pujas and birthday celebration. After offering to the gods, the same is distributed amongst the
family members as Prasad. The food is offered to gods on a clean and specially assigned brass
plate to the gods, and then the same is distributed amongst the family members gathered for the
auspicious occasion. This delicacy is special for its home-made nature and its special auspicious
values of offering to the gods.
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