“Food is music to the body; music is food to the heart”

 It was a huge pleasure meeting Konkani Bandhawas at the Ugadhi function. There was new found energy and happy faces. “Long time no see” and “coming out of hibernation” were the mantras. There were warm hugs, entertainment and tempting food with Konkani written all over it. Speaking of food, the music group “Culture Criminals” with their soulful renditions of songs from the “good old times Bollywood” enhanced the flavour of the food without even taking a step into the kitchen. That is the beauty of music. Thank you “Culture Criminals”.

Sounds can make eating food pleasant, enjoyable and even change the perception of flavour. I have walked into a low-end pizza place with loud music blaring and compared it to an upscale pizza place with the soft music of Luciano Pavarotti playing. Those notes take you to the heart of Italy and gently guide your senses to a more authentic taste of pizza.

At home, the sound of boiling water and pouring it over tea creates a feeling of anticipation. For Konkani’s it is the sound of the sea, bringing to mind seafood.  And by association, seafood and breaking of the sea surf. For a trial listen to this in the background when you are eating your next meal of fish:

 Mi Dolkara Daryacha Raja With Lyrics | मी डोलकर डोलकर डोलकर दर्याचा राजा | Lata Mangeshkar – YouTube,

At home, we rely on certain sounds that can act as a cue during cooking and give an indication of how to proceed. When preparing the tadka, the crackling sound that arises when mustard seeds splutter in the pan of the hot oil indicates that the oil is hot enough to draw the flavour from the food and it is time to reduce the heat. The popping sound of corn kernels exploding in the presence of heat is a gauge to determine the cooking time of popcorn when preparing a big bowl of popcorn for movie night. 

Is there a connection between that crackling sound you hear and the rating you give to that movie? Of course, sound and aroma go hand in hand with acting and script!

We pick up sound through auditory receptors, tiny hair cells inside the inner ear organ called the cochlea. The hair cells contain stereocilia, a bundle of hairlike processes that can pick up sound. Sound waves enter through the outer ear and travel through the ear canal to the eardrum where the drum begins to vibrate. The intensity of the vibrations depends on the intensity of the sound. The brain in turn processes this information to tell us about the source and quality of the sound and we react accordingly. Importantly, our ear canals are connected to our nose and olfactory pathways.

Sometimes the start of the meal is marked by saying grace or the ringing of a musical instrument, such as a bell. The purpose is to create ambience in which the food is eaten and often sound is a way to make guests conscious of the story behind the meal.

Research has been conducted to determine whether air pressure changes or cabin noise are responsible for airline passengers’ preference for beverages and meals in flight. The studies simulated the air pressure and/or sounds experienced in a commercial airplane cabin at cruising altitudes. In one study people were asked to taste combinations of the five basic tastes – sour, salty, sweet, bitter, and savory. Their responses were recorded in the presence or absence of loud sounds that stimulated airline cabin noise. Out of the five basic tastes, only sweet and savoury were significantly affected. In particular, the perception of savory increased in the presence of loud noise, while the perception of sweetness started to decrease. So sound and its intensity do in fact influence the perception of taste.

The right sound can positively influence your meal, just as the wrong one can have a negative impact. Loud sounds can be distracting and make it hard to concentrate. Not a great way to consume any meal. Next time try for yourself loud blaring music drums versus the soft beat of Santoor on your next dining experience.

Pandit Shivkumar Sharma (Santoor) – Raga Yaman – YouTube

Music has a way of reaching deep inside to wake up your taste buds. It can make you smile; it can make you weep; it can make you hungry. An invitation is hereby extended to share your feast of your ears, great songs that fire your taste buds. As for our household, the go to music is always a version of:

 LEGACY: Asha Bhosle & Ustad Ali Akbar Khan – Pure Indian Classical – YouTube

So, the next time you are eating or cooking, pay attention to the sounds around you and the sounds the ingredients or food make. These sounds may not only amplify the sensation and bring out the best from your taste buds.

 Is it too much to ask for a glimpse of “culture criminals” at all the OKA functions?

About the author…
Madhav Shanbhag moved to GTA in 2017, after spending more than 40 years in Fredericton, New Brunswick. In retirement, Madhav enjoys the luxury of few hours of leisure and nature time…

The popular expression goes “You are what you eat.” Less well-known but no less true is “You are what you perceive and how you perceive.” The wonder of our human senses.

 That is how I felt when news of the opening of an Indian restaurant “Desi Mane” (Amchigele Ghar) hit my Whatsapp box. Thanks, with happy emojis, was my immediate response.

Desi Mane is a global Indian restaurant chain that recently opened its first location in Toronto. Traditional south Indian food in all-you-can-eat format served on a banana leaf. No spoons, forks or knives. All you can eat with your hand.

I can almost envision a giant banana leaf laid to perfection and two little bowls. A waiter comes with hot white rice topped with a drizzle of aromatic ghee and pours some piping hot dal speckled with cumin seeds. Another bringing sauteed and stewed vegetables and another bringing my all-time favorite papad, pickles, and green and red chilies. I am not the only one who is feeling hungry and relieving the memories of a visit to a Venkateshwara temple.

In South India people eat with their hands. This is a practice from the Indian science of Ayurveda – a system that sees food as medicine to prevent, rather than cure. Our fingers cumulatively represent the elements of life: Thumb for fire ( a.gni), the forefinger for air (vayu), the middle finger for space (Akasha), the ring finger for Earth (prithvi), and the little finger for water (jala).

Eating with your fingers stimulates these five elements and helps bring forth the digestive juices in our stomach. Kind of a system of correspondence, to receive vital energies of life and to enhance the taste with touch. Not to mention eating with our hands creates a physical connection with food and helps to be more conscious of the food we eat. By taking food with our fingers, our attention becomes tuned to the temperature, texture, and aroma of the meal. Translating into better digestion and better health.

In the vedic texts collectively known as Upnishadas, there are many musings on food as the fundamental substance of the universe passing from field to plate to the stomach to soul until a human being dies and turns back into food. Seen in this light, eating is a direct embrace of life, distinct from the knife and fork culture of the west or the chopstick culture of the Far East .

Eating with our fingers denotes presence and pleasure for our fingers, not to mention a primal delight to a South Indian.

Of course, even in cultures where the use of cutlery is the norm, we all eat with our hands-on some occasions – an apple or a carrot stick, a sandwich, or a slice of pizza. But these foods do not need that five-finger coordination.

To millions of people around the world who regularly eat with their fingers, the mechanics are highly sophisticated, the result of long practice from childhood.

During my early years in Canada, locals who saw me eat with my hands used to laugh and poke fun. However, when they tried to imitate, that cumulative experience of hand eating wins hands down. It takes great skill and even artistry to grab a chapati and use your index finger as a clamp and your thumb and middle finger to pull off a small piece, then the top of all fingers to fabricate a little scoop for dal. Even more complex is the art of filleting a fish while you eat squeezing each morsel to take out all the bones. This added work slows down the meal and deepens the enjoyment of eating a fine piece of fish.

Last but not least, finger eaters are environmentalists to the core. Ahead of our time without even knowing it! No food wastage, utensils in need of washing, and even the plate can be composted. Came from nature and give back to nature.

 Now that the in-person events have begun, isn’t it time for our OKA president to plan on a meal served on a banana leaf and indulge our five fingers at the next OKA function? Go fingers!

About the author…
Madhav Shanbhag moved to GTA in 2017, after spending more than 40 years in Fredericton, New Brunswick. In retirement, Madhav enjoys the luxury of few hours of leisure and nature time…