Think of India and one of the first things that comes to mind is its diversity. A large country, its population is second only to China, its languages are numerous and every state (of which there are 28 and seven union territories) is unique in its traditions and very importantly, its food. In fact, food from one region may actually be totally alien to a person from another region! The common thread that runs through most Indian food though, is the use of numerous spices to create flavour and aroma.
Indians take their food very seriously. Cooking is considered an art and most mothers usually begin to teach their daughters and pass down family recipes through interesting, show-and-tell methods fairly early in life. Mealtimes are important occasions for family to get together. Most meals comprise of several dishes ranging from staples like rice and breads to meat and vegetables and rounded off with a dessert. In a lot of Indian homes, foods are made from scratch with fresh ingredients. For example, some families buy their favourite type of wheat, wash it, dry it in the sun and then take it into a flourmill to have it ground into flour exactly the way they like, as opposed to buying flour from a store! This is changing in bigger cities where young people have increasingly hectic lives and are happy to use ready-to-eat, pre-made ingredients.
49. What does the article suggest about the attitudes of modern, younger Indians regarding food?
