How cooking has changed

Your book asks you to talk to the elders at home. What did they eat as children? What is new? How has cooking changed? The ways we cook food are called cooking practices, or culinary practices. They have changed a lot, and traditional and modern practices are very different.

Then: most cooking was done on a chulha, a traditional stove. Someone had to collect wood, light it and keep blowing on the fire, and the smoke turned the kitchen walls black. Now: most of us cook on a gas stove: turn a knob and the flame is ready. Some homes even use induction cooktops, which cook with no flame at all.

Then: most grinding was done by hand on a sil-batta, a stone grinder. Making chutney took a lot of time and effort. Now: we use an electrical grinder (a mixer). Switch it on and the chutney is ready.

Why did these practices change? The book gives three reasons: technological development, improved transportation and better communication.