FASCINATING SCIENCE BEHIND PRACTICES IN ANCIENT INDIAN KITCHENS

Food is something that everyone loves and thrives for. Ayurveda, Chinese medicine, and various other medical treatments including modern science emphasize that the kind of food we eat defines our life. But what about the practices involving its place of preparation? This topic covers some practices that were employed in ancient Indian households, to integrate health and lifestyle.

 

1. Storing water in Copper and Earthen pots-

Widely spoken of nowadays, the practice of storing water in Copper utensils has been practiced for thousands of years and is inscribed in the Ayurveda. Recent studies indicate the Oligodynamic effect of copper, that is the ability to exert lethal effects on microbes is useful, whilst maintaining the natural pH of the water. Modern science suggests that a few hours of such storage causes damage to the cell walls of microbes thus killing them. 

The metal being necessary for the body infuses into the water and provides health benefits such as forming blood vessels, energy production, brain chemical transmission, and much more. Although deemed toxic greater than 0.47mg/liter or 10mg/day, this is widely welcomed recently with the use of copper in hospitals to prevent disease transmission. 

Water stored in Earthen pots can widely be seen in summers. Due to the evaporation of water outside through the tiny pores, the outside water absorbs the heat thus maintaining the pot water cool. Also, water stored thus incorporates natural minerals and is gentle on the throat, and reduces gastric problems since clay is alkaline.

2. Serving food to children on a Silver platter-

Almost every middle-class Indian household in ancient India had silver. Not about royalty, but for the properties it possessed. Silver has high antimicrobial properties and controls the growth of microbes in food. This is the reason why children were fed in silverware, to reduce the possibility of diseases and increase immunity and metabolism.

Also, unlike other metals, silver is non-toxic and helps in controlling adulterants in food. According to Ayurveda, its compounds are an active ingredient in medicines and help in increasing the brain activity of children.

3. Cooking in Bronze, Brass, and Kalchatti-

Bronze is an alloy made of 78% Copper and 22% Tin by heating to 700°C. Bronze has a wide history even outside India, where ancient civilizations of Greece, Rome, and China were also used. Bronze is a good conductor and an integral part of ancient Indian kitchens since it is a good conductor and keeps the food warm and richer for longer periods. It incorporates the properties of Copper and Zinc which reduces bacterial growth, increases immunity, and alkalizes the food. 

Brass is a copper alloy containing Copper and tin in the ratio 70:30. It is a good conductor of heat and reduces cooking time. It also helps in producing melanin, an integral part of skin and hair in the body. Certain scientific studies have revealed that cooking in brass incorporates traces of Copper and Zinc, and also produces natural oils which impart flavor to the food.

Kalchatti or Soapstone is a compound of Magnesium that is used in Southern India. It is a thick-walled and heavy utensil that maintains heat thus ensuring slow cooking. It absorbs heat faster than modern utensils and saves fuel by cooking for 5-10 minutes even after switching off. It keeps the food hot for longer periods, even up to 3 hours, and keeps the nutrients intact, as much as up to 98%.

Cooking of foods is specific to the type of food and kind of utensil used. Not all foods are cooked in all utensils. For example, ghee should not be used with Bronze and is supported both by Science and Ayurveda. Sour and acidic foods are not cooked in Brass and Bronze since they react at high temperatures and the corrosion of these utensils can be toxic while eating. Kalchatti can only be used to cook gravy-like foods and should not be reheated again. 

 

4. Drinking water-

The Indian method of wisdom says that water should be drunk such that the utensil does not touch the lips or the teeth of the person. This is to ensure that diseases that are present in the mouth are not transmitted to other persons, mainly children. But research contradicts conventional wisdom stating that water should be taken sip by sip for maximum utilization. Unless everyone has their bottles and utensils, practices are what keep us safe.

 

5. Hygiene while cooking-

Our ancestors gave importance to the place of cooking as much as they cooked. They created a certain set of rules to maintain the hygiene of food and to reduce the possibility of disease transmission. Some of those rules like cooking only after bathing, not allowing to cook after visiting the loo,  although seem trivial but were of great scientific reasoning. Even the simple rule of keeping the cooking area away from the place of washing utensils (An open backyard is generally attached to the kitchen for washing and many other activities) to prevent growth and transmission of microbes on utensils containing food.

 

6. Incorporating the flavors while cooking-

Indian cooking is based on the 6 flavors it contains and every Indian meal served these in ancient times. Due to modernization, we may have left the practices but these flavors help in maintaining proper body functions. And cooking of these foods was done from the scratch and adding basic flavors, like adding spices, chilies or Jaggery, unlike in other countries where food is paired like Beef with wine or potato with cheese, which have their own tastes. Cooking from scratch involves proper mixing of flavors thus imparting taste while maintaining its nutritional value.

These are some of the many practices that were followed, utilizing science that we're only able to understand now. Although these practices are slowly being lost nowadays, some are significantly being backed by modern science and are being widely recognized of late. If we could only unearth the science behind all our practices, maybe we could once again lead a healthy lifestyle led by our ancestors and pass it on to our future generations.

 

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