![]() Archaeobotanical records too, attest to the fruit’s prehistoric antiquity in the subcontinent. In fact, Hindu mythology is strewn with references to the jujube (both the fruit and the tree). ![]() As Badrinath, he is the lord of the jujube tree, known as badri or badara in Sanskrit. ![]() Ber is also among Shiva’s favourite fruits and is offered to him on Maha Shivratri. However, Saraswati isn’t the only deity that ber or the jujube is associated with. A khaager kalam (reed pen) is inserted into the pot, and a single kul is balanced on top of the pot. For instance, earthen ink pots filled with raw milk (symbolic of ink) are kept in front of the goddess. On Saraswati Puja, in Bengali homes, kul is not only offered to the Goddess as part of the naivedya, but has specific ritualistic use as well. Of course, one later learns how the custom is, perhaps, merely a way to discourage children from eating the somewhat astringent and highly acidic unripe kul. Popping a kul or two before Saraswati Puja would invariably result in poor grades, elders warn. The young, easily the greatest patrons of the sometimes sweet, deliciously tart, sweet smelling winter fruit, are typically scared into submission. ![]() Dubbed as Saraswati’s favourite fruit, it must be offered to the goddess of learning before mere mortals can feast on their favourite variety of the jujube. The occasion is celebrated on Vasant Panchami that generally falls during the peak kul season. The following is a list of common South Asian ingredients, as well as their names in various local languages spoken.A peculiar custom popular in Bengal prohibits the eating of kul, or ber, before Saraswati Puja. This article attempts to centralize, compile and tabulate the various vegetables, fruits, grains and spices that are commonly employed in various South Asian sub-cuisines to help reduce this confusion in identifying and procuring various South Asian food ingredients, especially in the cross-regional, international markets/contexts. This further aggravates the confusion in identifying specific items/ingredients, especially for international consumers/expatriates looking to procure vegetables, fruits, grains and spices specific to Indian sub-cuisines. Indian vegetable markets and grocery stores get their wholesale supplies from suppliers belonging to various regions/ethnicities from all over India and elsewhere, and the food suppliers/packagers mostly use sub-ethnic, region-specific item/ingredient names on the respective signs/labels used to identify specific vegetables, fruits, grains and spices based on their respective regions of origin. But for the connoisseurs, India offers a complex and eclectic array of sub-cuisines to explore, which are equally vegetarian friendly and a delight to the taste buds.Įven for South Asian people, this wide variety of vegetables, fruits, grains and spices used in various Indian sub-cuisines can be mind-boggling because of the variety of region-specific names used for identifying the food items. Most Indian restaurants serve predominantly Punjabi/North Indian cuisine, while a limited few serve a very limited choice of some South Indian dishes like Dosa. Indian cuisine is overwhelmingly vegetarian friendly and employs a variety of different fruits, vegetables, grains, and spices which vary in name from region to region within the country. ![]() Terms used the recipes of varied Indian and other South Asian sub-cuisines sometimes tend to be multi-lingual and region-specific, mostly based on the author's specific sub-ethnicity, the popularity of a given vegetable/spice in a given sub-cuisine within South Asia, etc. South Asian cuisine encompasses a delectable variety of sub-cuisines and cooking styles that vary very widely, reflecting the diversity of the Indian subcontinent, even though there is a certain centrality to the general ingredients used. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources. This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. ![]()
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