Nostalgia and food are synonymous with our grandmother’s ancient style of cooking, that has not only been soulful to our heart but also strong for our body. Today, most people grab a quick slice of toast or bowl of cereal. What about our ancestors? Did they eat the same foods? Did they have the same diets?
Long time ago, kitchens were small and the utilities were limited, but the food cooked by our ancestors were a treat to us. It was because of the traditional way of cooking with natural and authentic ingredients and spices. Our ancestors have taught us very well not forget our roots and thus even now, during special occasions people prefer to eat food in the traditional style (food served on the floor on a banana leaf).
Tamil cuisine is dominated by rice, tamarind, curry leaves, and lentils. Many dishes such as idli, dosa, upma are a common "must have" breakfast at home.
Most of today’s foods weren’t available then, such as skim milk, sugary cereals or prepared foods with preservatives and additives. During those times, there may not have been a major difference between foods for different meals too. Kanji and koozh could have been for breakfast, lunch or supper. The class system might have been a major factor for not having different dishes for different meals. Our wealthy
ancestors would have enjoyed lavish breakfast, while our other ancestors ate more simply.
Inspite of all the differences, there are few classic Breakfast items that have been passed on from our ancestors.
1) Kambu Koozh:(கம்பு கூழ்)
Kambu Koozh is nothing but ‘Pearl millet’ in English. It is very healthy, highly nutritious and it can reduce our weight. Bajra is non glutinous and is full of vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in proteins and fiber. Being rich in fiber, it helps in weight loss as it keeps us filler for a longer time. This kambu koozh is known to cool the body, so it is considered a perfect drink during summer.
2) Illai Appam: (இலை அப்பம்)
Having tastes of kozhukatti, illai appam was traditionally made of arasa illai because it was easily found in the backyards, Appam was filled with boiled green peas, jaggery, and cocunt and rolled in arasa leaf/banana leaf to get delicious tasty illai appam.
3) Orotti:
It is an unique South Indian-style roti recipe that is made with rice flour and coconut. Though it is very popular in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, it followed the technique of preparing makki ki roti.
4) Aval Dosa:
Aval or poha, is an easily digestible, filling, energy-rich food used in various forms, sweet or savoury. They are essentially rice flakes. Aval Dosa is a very easy dosa batter made of aval. The batter does not require the usual overnight fermentation, it can be used instantly making this an easy breakfast option. The Aval batter turns out soft, fluffy dosas that go very well with tomato or mint chutney.
5) Ragi idiyappam:
Ragi Idiyappam is among the ideal tiffin items. Ragi is proper for adults, aged as well as babies. Idiyappam (or Nool Puttu) is typically made out of rice flour. Its alternative is known as Sevai.
The list is not exhaustive but there is one more point to notice. Small habits such as don’t go out on an empty stomach, do not talk while eating, do not share glasses, etc are much more than good manners. In fact going back to some of these habits can magically impact our health.
Ancestor's breakfast habits:
Few habits along with traditional dishes when followed like our ancestors could bring in lots of differences and positive impact on our modernised lifestyle.
1) Sitting on the floor while eating:
According to experts, sitting on the floor cross legged while having food as practiced in India is typically a yogic posture called Sukhasan which is said to massage the abdominal muscles, boost circulation in lower part of the body and increase flexibility.
2) Early morning breakfast:
The roots of having an early morning breakfast go long back in history. Postponing or skipping your breakfast not only makes you ravenous during lunch time, but also reduces your metabolism.
3) Not talking while eating
Most of us have grown up hearing that talking while eating is a bad manner. In older days, it was considered a taboo to converse while eating. The main reason behind it probably was the fear of choking on food or hurriedly gulping it down without chewing.
4) Cooking in earthen utensils:
Our ancestors must have cooked food in earthenware because they did not know about plastic, steel and aluminium. But that was not the only reason for it. Using earthenware helps to retain the taste as cooking in such pots provides enough moisture for the food to absorb each flavor.
5) Not stocking up prepared meal for the whole day:
Food starts losing its nourishment as soon as it is prepared. So it is advisable to eat it fresh. While in most busy households today the concept of preparing meals three times a day has given way to bulk preparation once, it is an unhealthy practice that should be given up.
6) Eating food with hands:
Even as a number of people proudly claim that they are not able to eat unless they have a spoon, the ancient shastras recommended eating with hands “which had to be cleaned thoroughly before and after the meal”. Eating with hands is neither uncouth nor tacky, but is extremely healthy.
What about your family? Do you remember what your grandparents enjoyed for breakfast? Has your family history research revealed the eating habits of your ancestors? Let us know in the comments below.
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