Traditional foods may be defined as food eaten by people over the longer course of civilization and which have supported health – cultivated, produced, and harvested from the earth and out of nature – foods which are wholly unaltered and organic, and contain the highest levels of nutrition. Traditional foods are foods that were consumed throughout history before the modernization and industrialization of the food supply. Traditional food is locally sourced and is not only free from additives, preservatives and chemicals but exceptionally nourishing. For the health conscious lot, it can be said that one of the best ways to take control of your own health is to eliminate processed foods from your diet and start eating traditional foods.
As the market is overwhelmed by processed food today, it is important to revisit our traditional food not just for the nutritional value but also for its cultural significance because food is more than just a means of survival. People from different cultural backgrounds eat different foods and they connect to their cultural or ethnic group through food patterns. Food is an important part of cultural heritage and ethnic identity. Further, food is often used as a means of retaining a cultural identity. Traditional food also brings out a sense of comfort and belonging. Viewed from this perspective, promotion of traditional food assumes even greater significance.
Unfortunately, our food patterns are fast changing today as ready-to-eat foods are taking over our traditional foods. This is sad because it is not only bad for our health and overall wellbeing but is also posing a threat to our cultural heritage. When we lose a traditional food item, remember that we are losing a set of traditional knowledge along with it including language, practices and skills. Further, viewed from the economic point of view, the more we lose our traditional food, the more we become dependent on market suppliers. The most common food staple for us, rice, is also fast losing its traditional palate today as we are now dependent on imported supplies. The less said the better about other traditional food items. There has to be a conscious effort to revive the traditional foods that we have lost, and preserve those that we have today before it is too late.
A novel way would be to encourage a gourmet or restaurant in town, for instance, serving exclusively traditional foods instead of the Chinese, Indian, Continental and now Korean foods. Research and documentation can be encouraged. There are more ways than one to promote traditional food but it will require us first of all to understand in agreement the importance and significance of traditional food.