Table of ContentsIntroductionTraditional Food HabitsAdaptation to the United StatesFood Relations and Health“Ultimately, in our own tradition, food is something sacred. It's not about nutrients or calories. It's about sharing. It's a question of honesty. It's a question of identity. »Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay ~ Louise FrescoIntroduction For generations, immigrants to the United States brought with them their own cultures, traditions, and cuisine from their home countries. The result is a veritable melting pot of ethnic cuisine in America, as all dishes inevitably have their roots in other cultures and traditions. As the United States population becomes increasingly heterogeneous, it should be wise to take the time to understand the dietary habits and culture of minority ethnic groups in the United States, which is the inherent goal of this short article. For this assignment on the traditional dietary habits of an ethnic minority group in the United States, I chose American Indians as my group. Indians have a long history in the United States and a rich culinary tradition and food culture. In 2014, approximately 2.6 million Indian immigrants and second-generation citizens lived in the United States (MPI, 2014, np). The reason I chose American Indians as the subject of this article is about the food traditions of an ethnic minority group. is that Indian cuisine is increasingly popular throughout the country and therefore represents an interesting research point for this article. It is also one of the most unique types of cuisines represented in America, with many different spices and cooking methods used. The fact that it is so different from “typical” American dishes makes it all the more interesting. Indian cuisine is also found in one of my favorite cuisines. In order to adequately address this topic, the article first examines the traditional food habits of Indians, including their staple foods and preparation methods. This will be the main focus of the document. The discussion then focuses on how Indian food has been adapted to the United States, as well as the health and nutritional factors of Indian food, including the health benefits and drawbacks of an Indian diet. Overall, the goal of this short article is simply to provide an understanding of Indian food, culture, and traditions in the context of an increasingly heterogeneous America. Traditional Food Habits Indian staple (or staple) foods are increasingly known throughout the country as Indian foods. ethnic restaurants are becoming more popular. As the Washington Post reports, "Indian cuisine has slowly but surely found its way into the hearts (and stomachs) of cities across the United States" with 300 restaurants representing the subcontinent in New York City alone ( Ferdman, 2015, np). However, this cuisine is not as popular as it could be, so this article focuses on the preparation, composition, and cultivation of the cuisine itself. Some of the staple foods include roti (or chappati), white rice, curries, curd, lentils, paneer and many exotic spices. As one source states, the traditional food of India “has been widely appreciated for its fabulous use of herbs and spices” (CI, 2016, np). This is perhaps what most distinguishes Indian cuisine. A roti is a breadIndian dish used as a snack on its own or served with meals, and is usually made from wheat flour mixed with bran (HME, 2015). Other more specialized foods include korma (meat with a thick yogurt sauce), samosas (essentially an Indian version of a turnover), and papadum, which are thin wafers made from lentils (AHA, 2016). Other ingredients used in recipes are eggplant, mustard greens, garlic, fresh ginger, clarified butter and spices like turmeric. Preparing many typical Indian dishes is both time-consuming and labor-intensive, due to the preference for slow-cooked meats and creating dishes with fresh ingredients and spices. Even a brief perusal of Indian recipes available online shows that almost all of them use a wide range of spices. Because food varies greatly by region, there is not necessarily a traditional "national" dish of India; instead, Indian immigrants create a wide range of dishes and sides with the staples listed above. The meal composition of Indian cuisine is quite different from that of typical American cuisine, with savory breakfasts that often look like dinner or lunch dishes to the unconscious eye. For example, breakfast foods “may include a few servings of unleavened bread with a richly spiced meat, poultry or fish curry, spicy pickles and a vegetable dish with yogurt when affordable” (Balagopal , 2000, 21). Aside from that, meal cycles relatively reflect American culture, with meal times at similar intervals. Apart from the usual composition and cycle of meals, there are certainly Indian foods used for traditional celebrations and associated with religion. For example, Sikhs practice what is called langar, or communal meal, usually served after religious services at a gurdwara (Pluralism Project, 2016). This is usually offered by a single family to celebrate a particular family event, and all families take turns. For Sikhs, “eating together in this way expresses the equality and unity of all humanity” while simultaneously strengthening the Sikh community (Pluralism Project, 2016, np). Although there are not necessarily special dishes for this occasion, the communal meal in Sikhism represents one of the ways that Indian food has come to mean community. However, there are special foods for traditional celebrations in India. For example, during the festival of lights (celebrated by both Hindus and Sikhs), sweets become much more prevalent in Indian cuisine (Sukhadwala, 2011). The most popular example is mithai, an Indian sweet that is a “cross between snack, dessert and confectionery” (Sukhadwala, 2011, np). The process of making these types of treats can begin up to a month before the Festival of Lights celebration in October. On the first day of the festival, associated with wealth, it is not uncommon for households to use a special mixture of sugar and ghee to celebrate wealth, even in cooking. As in any culture, holiday meals are the least healthy. Adapting to the United States Because Indian cuisine is so different from typical American cuisine, it is difficult to adapt it directly to the United States. As a result, there appears to be a deep divide between the cultural attitudes of immigrants and those of their children. As one study reports, “children in the United States adopted bicultural identities along all four measures of ethnic identification” (Mathur, 2000, np). In..