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Food Food is integral part of every human culture.

Chang notes that the importance of food in understanding human culture lies in its infinite variability - a variability that is not essential for species survival. For survival needs, people everywhere could eat the same and some simple food.[45] But human cultures, over the ages, experiment, innovate and develop sophisticated cuisines. Cuisines become more than a source of nutrients, they reflect human knowledge, culture, art and expression of love. Indian food is as diverse as India. Indian cuisines use numerous ingredients, deploy a wide range of food preparation styles, cooking techniques and culinary presentation. From salads to sauces, from vegetarian to meat, from spices to sensuous, from breads to desserts, Indian cuisine is invariably complex. Harold McGee, a favorite of many Michelin starred chefs, writes "for sheer inventiveness with milk itself as the primary ingredient, no country on earth can match India. Clothing Traditional clothing in India greatly varies across different parts of the country and is influenced by local culture, geography, climate and rural/urban settings. Popular styles of dress include draped garments such as sari for women and dhoti orlungi for men. Stitched clothes are also popular such aschuridar or salwar-kameez for women, with dupatta (long scarf) thrown over shoulder completing the outfit. Salwar is often loose fitting, while churidar is a tighter cut. [55] For men, stitched versions include kurta-pyjama and European-style trousers and shirts for men. In urban centers, people can often be seen in jeans, trousers, shirts, suits, kurta and variety of other fashions. In public and religious places, Indian dress etiquette discourages exposure of skin and wearing transparent or tight clothes.[56] Most Indian clothes are made from cotton which is ideal for the region's hot weather.[57] Since India's weather is mostly hot and rainy, majority of Indians wear sandals.[58] Indian women perfect their sense of charm and fashion with make up and ornaments. Bindi, mehendi, earrings, bangles and other jewelry are common. On special occasions, such as marriage ceremonies and festivals, women may wear cheerful colors with various ornaments made with gold, silver or other regional stones and gems. Kerala Foods The cuisine of Kerala is linked in all its richness to the history, geography, demographyand culture of the land. Kerala cuisine has a multitude of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes prepared using fish, poultry and meat. Coconuts grow in abundance in Kerala, and consequently, coconut kernel, (sliced or grated) coconut cream and coconut milk are widely used in dishes for thickening and flavoring. Kerala's long coastline, numerous rivers and backwater networks, and strong fishing industry

have contributed to many sea and river food based dishes. Rice and cassava (Tapioca) form the staple food of Kerala. All main dishes are made with them and served along with Kootan; the side dishes which may be made from vegetables, meat, fish or a mix of all of them. The main dish for lunch and dinner is boiled rice. The Kerala breakfast shows a rich variety; the main dishes for which are made from rice flour, or fresh or dried cassava. Owing to the weather and the availability of spices, the Kerala cuisine is richly spicy especially the hot ones -chili, black pepper, cardamom, cloves, ginger, and cinnamon. Kerala Dress Men were dressed in a hand-woven cotton cloth, called moondoo, and wore sandal pastes on their chests and brows. When going outside, they threw a smaller cloth over their shoulders. Even now, men adopt the same style when at home. The hot climate makes this the most comfortable dress. On going out, however, they don a shirt, and the trouser replaces the moondoo in many cases. Women of three or four generations ago also followed a similar pattern. For the last few generations, Hindu women of Kerala had adopted the practice of wearing a blouse and a second cloth over the blouse. Both men and women preferred white dresses. The moondoos had gold (kasavoo) borders for wearing on special occasions, as seen in the pic right. Karnataka Food The cuisine of Karnataka includes many vegetarian and non-vegetarian cuisines. The varieties reflect influences from and to the food habits of many regions and communities from the three neighbouring South Indian states, as well as the state of Maharashtra to its north. Some typical dishes include Bisi bele bath, Jolada rotti, Chapati, Ragi rotti, Akki rotti, Saaru,Idlivada Sambar, Vangi Bath, Khara Bath, Kesari Bath, Davanagere Benne Dosa, Ragi mudde, and Uppittu. The famous Masala Dosa traces its origin to Udupi cuisine. Plain and Rave Idli, Mysore Masala Dosa and Maddur Vade are popular in South Karnataka. Coorg district is famous for spicy varieties of pork curries while coastal Karnataka boasts of many tasty seafood specialities. Among sweets, Mysore Pak, Holige, or, Obbattu, Dharwad pedha, Chiroti are well known. Karnataka Dress Karnataka dresses portray elegance of South Indian clothing. The dresses of Karnataka show grace and decency which are integral to the cultural spirit of the state. The men wear shirts or kurtas along with a lungi on the upper and lower body respectively. Although there is not much of a variation of the mens dresses in Karnataka, yet the dresses follow strict codes of custom laid down by tradition since the ancient times. Sarees have been the traditional dress for women in Karnataka.

Karnataka, particularly Bangalore and Mysore, is the silk hub of India and Karnataka silk sarees are its traditional costume. However, the different style of wearing a saree make them unique. The Coorgi style of draping a saree in Karnataka involves tying the pleats on the back instead of the front and a small portion of the pallu is placed over the shoulder. Mysore silk sarees are made with lustrous zari and rich silk. The extraordinary sheen of the fabric and the purity of the zari make these saree an elegant women dress. The Kornadu saris are a mix of cotton and silk. The Konrad sarees are woven with a blue cotton yarn and silk yarn in several colors other than blue. The motifs at border are varied and the body of the sari has checks or stripes. They are mostly used as daily casual wear outfit. The handloom Irkal saris have the beautiful Kasuti embroidery on them. Kasuti embroidery is a special craft practiced mainly in Uttara Kanara district or North Kanara district of Karnataka. The motifs on Irkal saris include architectural designs, cradle, elephant, squirrel among others. The Mysore crepe silk sarees are used as office wear sarees due to their light-weight, and easy to care nature. Andhra Pradhesh Dress Andhra Pradesh is a representation of true soul o f India as it is the home of diverse cultures of India. This South Indian state is most famous for its rich handloom sarees but women here can be seen in other dresses too. While the Hindu women wear different types of sarees, Muslim women can be spotted in burkha or the hijab. The prevalence of IT sector in Hyderabad have made the western womens wear like jeans, skirts and shirts, and ladies kurtis also popular in the state. However, the traditional dress of Andhra Pradesh still is the ethnic handloom sarees that are made at different places and are mostly famous by the names of these places. The silk sarees made in Dharmavaram of Andhra Pradesh are the coveted sarees for ceremonies and festivals. TheDharmavaram sarees have plain borders without much contrast. However, the brocaded gold patterns or butta designs on the borders and the exclusively designed pallus are the features that make the Dharmavaram silk sarees so special for Andhra women. Yet another handloom saree - the Gadwal sarees are manufactured in Gadwal region of Andhra Pradesh. These sarees are famous world over for their cotton body with pure silk borders and pallu. The Ikkat saris were first woven in the Nalgonda district of Andhra Pradesh. However, now they are famous by the name of Pochampally sarees due to their vast scale production in the Pochampally region of Andhra Pradesh. These sarees are also made in Puttapaka, and Chautuppal villages of Andhra Pradesh. The unique feature of Ikkat saris lie in the weaving -pattern wherein the yarn is arbitrarily dyed in zigzag or geometric structures. TheMangalgir saris, which are fine cotton sarees, are made in the Mangalgiri region of Andhra Pradesh. The Venkatagiri saris are hand woven with locally made jalas. They are fine examples of the jacquard weave. The body of the Venkatagiri sari is in sheer cotton, embellished with gold motifs like dots, coins, leaves, parrots, or simple geometric designs.

Andhra Food Telugu cuisine, The cuisine of Andhra is based mostly on regional variation, its rich cultural heritage and the influence of the Royal recipes from the Nawabs. The cuisine of Andhra Pradesh is mixed between the eating habits of the Hindus and Muslims style of eating. Being the largest producer of rice in India, Andhra cuisine is mostly rice based which can be eaten with vegetarian or non-vegetarian. Andhra is also the hub of red chillies which makes most of the dishes very spicy and fiery. The traditional delicacies of Andhra are absolutely mouthwatering having a liberal use of spices. The cuisines of Andhra Pradesh can be categorically classified based by its regions like Andhra, Telangana, Rayalaseema and Hyderabadi cuisine. The staple food of Andhra Pradesh is mainly Morning Break fast (Tiffin), Lunch, Evening Snacks and Dinner. Punjabi Food (Punjabi: , Urdu: ) is food from the Punjab region of

northwestern India and eastern Pakistan. It can be non-vegetarian or completely vegetarian. One of the main features of Punjabi cuisine is its diverse range of dishes. Home cooked and restaurant Punjabi cuisine can vary significantly, with restaurant style using large amounts ofghee, clarified butter, with liberal amounts of butter and cream, with home cooking concentrating on mainly upon preparations with whole wheat, rice and other ingredients flavored with masala. Within the Punjab region, there are different preferences. People in the area of Amritsar prefer stuffed parathas and milk products. In fact, the area is well known for quality of its milk products. There are certain dishes which are exclusive to Punjab, such as sarson da saag. The main masala in a Punjabi dish consists of onion, garlic and ginger. Tandoori food is a Punjabi speciality especially for non-vegetarian dishes. Many of the most popular elements of AngloIndian cuisine - such as Tandoor, Naan, Pakoras and vegetable dishes with paneer - derive from the Punjab Punjab Dress Women in Punjab dress themselves in Salwar topped by a Kameez with a shawl known as Chunni or Duppatta. Salwar is like pants that can be wide and baggy or narrow. It is worn at the waist and is held up by a cloth string or an elastic band. The upper part which is known as Kameez is usually cut straight and flat. The neckline, sleeves and bottom edge of the Kameez is decked with embroidery work or lace. Along with this vibrant dress, the Punjabi women adorn themselves in attractive jewelleries such as necklace, bangles, rings, earrings, nose-pins, toe-rings and anklets. Kada, steel bangle is worn by most of Sikh men and women. Punjabi men dress themselves in a long & loose shirt known as Kurta teamed with the loose baggy salwar known as Pyjamas or a long length of fabric, wrapped around the waist known as Loongi or Tehmat. The whole appearance is completed with traditional Punjabi shoes, called Juttis, worn by men.

Baisakhi is the important festival of Punjab. All the people of Punjab celebrates this festival by wearing vibrant dresses. At the time of such grand festival, men and women participate in Bhangra and Gidda dances, respectively. They wear special traditional Bhangra and Gidda attires. These attires are mostly worn by the rustics. The colorful hues of these dresses reflect the zestful and enthusiastic life of Punjabi folk. Bhangra dress comes with Turla or Torla that is a fan like shape decked on the top of the colorful turban known as Pug, Kurta, Loongi, Jugi a waistcoat and scarves known as Rammal worn on the fingers . Along with this gorgeous outfit, they adore themselves in necklace known as Kaintha.Bright hues such as red, yellow and green Bhangra dress are usually worn at the time of Baisakhi. Women wear colorful attire with heavy jewelleries at the time of Gidda dance. The traditional Gidda dress includes Duppatta, Kameez, Salwar . This traditional dress is complemented with dazzling jewelleries such as Tikka jewellery, worn on the forehead, long hanging earrings or Jhumka, Paranda that is braid tassle, Suggi-Phul worn on head, a long gold necklace known as Raani-Haar, Haar Hamela gems studded golden necklace, Baazu Band and anklets known as Pazaibs. These vibrant traditional dresses give an elegant appeal to both men and women. Dress of Gujarat Gujarat is one of Indias most industrialized states. The state is known for its rich historical facts, wildlife & forest and highly developed economy. Its unique culture and tradition is clearly manifested by the dressing style of the population. The traditional dress worn by Gujarati women are Ghagra Choli or Lehenga Choli. Ghagra is a colorful ankle length skirt that covers the lower part of woman body. Ghagra is decked with dense embroidery works. Ghagra comes with bare-backed blouses or top that is worn on the upper part of the body. The blouse is extended to the waist. The whole dress is complemented with a Duppatta, a long cloth which is used as veil. Apart from wearing traditional Lehenga Choli, women also wear sari and blouse. In rural Gujarat, women are found in vibrant petticoat known as Chaniyo, and blouse known as Choli or Polku along with Duppatta. The whole attire is decked with rich embroidery work as well as glass pieces. Food of Gujarat The traditional Gujarati food is primarily vegetarian and has a high nutritional value. The typical Gujarati thali consists of varied kinds of lip smacking dishes. Gujarati cuisine has so much to offer and each dish has an absolutely different cooking style. Some of the dishes are stir fry, while others are boiled. Gujarati food is more often served on a silver platter. Gujaratis use a combination of different spices and flavors to cook their meals and this is what makes their food truly exotic. The traditional Gujarati thali mostly encompasses rotli, dal or kadhi, sabzi also known as shaak

and rice. People in Gujarat eat one or the other type of curry along with rice and roti in almost every meal Gujarati dishes usually have a very subtle taste that makes it truly distinct from other Indian cuisines. Lot of emphasis is laid on maintaining hygiene while cooking. Most of the Gujarati dishes are sweet, while others have a quite larger concentration of sugar as compared to salt and spices. Sometimes, jaggery is used as an alternative to sugar. Gujarati food is highly energy efficient and thus do not cause much of fuel wastage. The staple food of Gujarat consists of homemade pickles, chhaas (buttermilk), salad etc. main course includes vegetables which are usually steamed and dal. Vaghaar is a blend of spices, which is purified in hot oil and then added to the dal. To prevent the body from becoming dehydrated, lot of salt, sugar, tomato and lemon is used.

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