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The Philosophy of Our Cuisine
India is a subcontinent, equal in size to Western Europe, but without a single common language. It has about two and a half times the number of people, several language scripts and numerous religions. So it is not easy to label its cuisine with a single heading. One has to allow for differences in climate, availability of produce, vast differences in incomes, religions, customs, traditions and beliefs.
The strongest influence on Indian cuisine, at least among 75 to 80 percent of Indians, is Ayurveda, an ancient body of knowledge on health. Ayur is derived from the word ayus meaning span of life in Sanskrit, and veda meaning knowledge. Thus, Ayurveda is knowledge regarding the maintenance of long life. It discusses the purpose of life, the importance of mental as well as physical health, and a code of ethical conduct for healthy living. The aim is salvation — to keep the body healthy and to give life such quality that one can progress beyond it. Life is a combination of the mind, body and soul, and this is in fact the central subject of Ayurveda.
According to Ayurveda, the human body is composed of seven body elements or tissue layers. These are plasma, blood, muscle, fat, bone, nerves, marrow and reproductive secretions. And there are innumerable channels that supply the various tissue constituents. Good health means proper flow through these channels and an equilibrium in the proportions of the seven body elements. Also, there are three primary life forces in the body, or three biological humors. The humors correspond primarily to the elements of air, fire and water. Ayurveda believes that when the humors are out of balance and aggravated, they manifest symptoms and give rise to various illnesses. The excess humors move into the body’s channels, causing improprieties in their flow.
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