Dirty Dozen - 12 most popular food fads in India -- Chef Kunal Kpaur

Dirty Dozen – Chef Kunal Kapur

Our mind is often caught in the phrase “To eat or not to eat.” Every now and then you hear a theory about what to eat and how much to eat and then, soon enough, there is a theory to contradict it. And if we thought that this was enough, the “Nani ke Nuskhae and Dadi ki Hidayaten” (Grandma’s do’s and don’ts) are completely out of the world. I have myself grown up listening to this classic example - if you drink lassi in the night, you will suffer from knee joint pains all your life. But, at the same time, it is okay to have yogurt. Now isn’t that baffling! I mean what’s the BIG difference between yogurt and Lassi? I tried to, but have as yet failed to understand this difference as well any scientific grounding for many such. Imagine, how superstitious we are even about our food!

Another one that is popular in my family - a pregnant lady, if consumes kesar with milk the child will be fair. I am sure there are many more such beliefs in each and every family that were happily passed on from one generation to the next.

I am sharing with you some food superstitions that, I believe, should now be buried in the past – both for the sake of good health and good taste. After all, to be ‘Free to Eat’ must also be counted as a basic freedom, in our ever evolving, vibrant democracy.

The Dirty Dozen

1.     A glass of milk everyday – We humans are the only animal on the planet that consumes other animals’ milk. Even calves leave their mother’s milk in a few months or years but we continue to savour animal milk throughout our lives. In almost every home it is an unwrittern good health edict to have a glass of milk every day. Let me remind you that animal milk is not a necessity for us. Our natural diet has sufficient amounts of calcium that our body requires. It’s a myth that daily intake of milk is good for health, actually it increases cholesterol levels and can be harmful.

2.      Have kesar in pregnancy for a fair child – Science has proved that genetics and not kesar decides the complexion of your Child’s skin. Don’t waste the world most expensive spice. Use it smartly.

3.    Drinking tea will give you darker complexion – Ha ha ha. I actually laugh every time I listen to this. I remember my grand mom telling all of us kids that if you drink tea your complexion will turn dark. And my sister got so paranoid that she has never touched tea till date. She is a mother of two lovely kids and she does not advise them the same, thanks to all the gyan I keep bequeathing on her. But again, she will never drink tea herself.

4.      Salt intake results in High Blood Pressure – One of the biggest myth is that eating too much of salt causes blood pressure. The fact is that salt does not result in BP. What is true is that once you have a blood pressure condition then you have to take less salt.

5.      Fish and milk don’t go together – I have grown up listening to this so much that I actually believed it for the longest time. Milk and milk products do not gel with fish and seafood is a big myth. In fact a lot of fish dishes especially from Bengal are cooked in yogurt. Tandoori fish uses yogurt marinade and internationally lemon butter sauce goes very well with fish.

6.      Dry fruits in winters only – It is not uncommon to hear that dry fruits have ‘hot’ properties and are best eaten only in winters. Whereas the truth is that dry fruits are very healthy and should be had a handful everyday of the year. They have a lot of essential nutrients that the body requires. Of course, excess of anything is bad.

7.      Desi ghee is a must for growing child – No child (well almost) in India is spared from desi ghee. It is the biggest nani ma ka nuskha for a growing child. Desi ghee is a form of fat and high in saturated fats. Moderation in consumption is definitely good, overdose can be bad.

8.Fat free is healthy – If you always thought that fat free was healthy then you were wrong. Not all fat free food is healthy. Calories play a vital role. High in calories, sugars, carbs and preservative make many fat free products an unhealthy option. Moreover, eating appropriate amount of fat is keeps the body and mind healthy.

9.      Saraswati pooja se pehle don’t eat baer (Berry) or else you will fail in exams – This one comes straight from Assam and Bengal where it is said that having baer before saraswati pooja actually leads to failures for any important task that you plan to do. It could be true if the baer is rotten and gives you an upset stomach. But if fresh then I don’t think anything adverse is going to happen.

10.  Applying water from the onions will give you a good eye sight – Don’t try this anywhere and anytime if you love your eyes. This is completely ridiculous and I have seen people getting local treatment the same way. This is a stupid myth. Don’t fall for it.

11.  Eating sugar leads to diabetes – “Eating food high in sugar is the main cause of diabetes.” You can have a national debate on this where self-proclaimed doctors would tell you that it’s not a myth. But the hard scientific fact is that diabetes is a condition where the body does not absorb or produce insulin in the natural way. Eating excessive sugar never causes diabetes, but once you have diabetes then you have to avoid sugar.

12.  Fresh fruits not to be eaten at night—I really don’t understand what is the logic behind this myth. The closest of my relative and family friends tell me that fresh fruits are to be avoided in the night. But at the same time a large bowl of fresh fruit cream is a must have at family get togethers. I feel fresh fruits can be had anytime of the day but always in moderation. I like having fresh fruits after meals, especially after dinner. Healthier than sugary desserts, aren’t they?

This dirty dozen, is just the lead in, a wake up call. I am pretty sure there are a lot more that are doing the rounds. If you happen to know some of them, do share with me right here.