International Journal of History

From the medieval period, the culinary practice and consumption continued and which later became a part of popular cultural tradition under the Rajputs of the Mewar and Marwar region from the 16th century to the 18th century. We found that the study of the gastronomic culture and practices was an interesting way to not only look at the culinary practice of Rajputs (Elite class) but also of the other rural communities and members of the society.

This study is based on the primary literature and some secondary sources such as books, journals and articles which dealt with the broader theme of the gastronomic culture of the Mewar and Marwar region. India’s diversity reflects the complex picture of culture of India. Food is a significant part of Indian culture because of its sophisticated cuisine identity and recipes that reflect the culture, art, knowledge, innovation and techniques. In this paper, we will briefly look at the Rajasthani cuisine which is diverse in nature that varies with the region having different seasons. These also reflected the demographic change, climatic conditions, culinary practice, and regional variation. Indian cosmopolitan cuisine varies from vegetarianism to non- vegetarian, spices to desserts. Rajasthani food doesn’t include vegetarianism but also many traditional dishes of Mewar including non - vegetarian dishes. This paper will tried to critically analyse that how the gastronomic culture became a popular culture among the Rajputs in the 16th- 18th century, the role of culinary tourism, consumption pattern of elite and non-elite class and the role of gender and also highlights the lavish obtrusive lifestyle of the royal family. This research also delves into a critical understanding of the culinary practice that was not only meant for consumption purposes but beyond that in the society. To conclude, we found that Rajasthani cuisine characterizes the food culture of the particular region as in the case of Mewar and Marwar region. Moreover, it was important to note that it was an already existing culture that was influenced and became popular in those centuries. This paper attempts to look at the culinary consumption practices as a part of popular cultural identity.