Different tasting methods are used in different states of the country.
Tasting is not just a snack, it is a social tradition
Tasting is basically a group of small dishes that are eaten lightly with wine. Its purpose is not only to fill the stomach, but also to balance the taste, control the effect of alcohol and make the atmosphere of a meeting or gathering lively. Many sociologists believe that wherever the collective tradition of drinking alcohol is strong, some culture of eating together inevitably develops.
In Spain it was called tapas, in the Middle East it was called mezze and in India it was called chakhana. The special thing about Chakhna is that it is not limited to any one class or region. From the peanuts and onions of local vendors to the platters of gastro-pubs in big cities, tasting is present everywhere, changing its form according to its surroundings.
In Spain it was called tapas, in the Middle East it was called mezze and in India it was called chakhana.
When and how did tasting become the companion of wine?
In India, there is mention of Sura and liquor since the Vedic period, but the culture of tasting in the modern sense seems to be developing rapidly since the middle of the twentieth century. The British authorities promoted club culture in India, where items like sandwiches, cutlets, roast meats were served along with wine, whiskey and beer.
The Indian upper class adopted these habits, but gave them a desi look according to their taste. Along with cutlets, options like samosa, pakora, chana, kachori started being added. In the 1950-70s, the number of bars and restaurants increased in big cities. At these places, along with alcohol, dishes started being served in light plates which had more spice, salt and sourness so that both thirst and taste increased.
The culture of wine tasting developed rapidly from the middle of the 20th century.
Parallel to this, the local liquor vends gave rise to the tradition of tasting very cheap and easily available peanuts, gram joor garam, namkeen, boiled eggs, onion-cucumber salad. For a class with limited money, it was not only a source of food, but also a practical way to control the strong effects of alcohol.
In the cinema of the seventies and eighties, and later in TV serials, tastings placed on plates along with bottles were constantly shown in depictions of bar scenes, friends’ gatherings and house parties. After 1990, as pub and lounge culture spread, a new era of fusion tasting began. Tandoori Pizza Bites, Chilli Paneer, Nachos with Salsa, and Indian-style finger foods. Now tasting is not just seen as food but as a culinary experience.
in Delhi Salted peanuts and roasted gram are popular in local markets and chilli bhajji, masala peanuts, chicken and mutton fry are popular in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
Forms and names of tasting in different states
The cultural and linguistic diversity of India is clearly visible in the taste as well. The basic idea is the same, a light, tasty snack to accompany alcohol but each state has given it its own colour, taste and name.
- Delhi and Western Uttar Pradesh: In local markets, it is available in the form of salted peanuts, roasted gram, gram-jor-garam, chopped onions, green chillies, while in homes and bars, it is served in the form of Tandoori Chicken, Paneer Tikka, Malai Tikka, Afghani Chicken, Mutton Seekh Kebab. Generally it is called tasting or snacks.
- Punjab and Haryana: Tasting in Punjab often means a rich, spicy non-veg plate. Fish Amritsari, Mutton Chop, Chicken Tikka, Tandoori Full Gobi, Malai Paneer Tikka. Boiled gram in a rustic environment, salt and lemon on radish and onion, local pickles. What will go together here? Or what is tasting? Such sentences are in common parlance.
In Punjab-Haryana, fish Amritsari, mutton chop and chicken tikka are popular with liquor.
- Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh: Spicy, oily flavors are popular in hilly areas as the weather is cooler. Dish of dried meat, roasted potatoes, local dal-phulki, bean curry in small servings. In many places it is called side or namkeen.
- West Bengal: Fish and liquor have a big place in the liquor culture of Bengal. Mudi Ghanta (Fish Head Dish), Fish Fingers, Chingdi Fry, Bhelpuri Style Jhalmudi. Here Jhalmuri and Chop-Cutlet are considered common tastes along with liquor.
- Bihar and Jharkhand: Bhunja (roasted gram and peas), raw onion, green chillies, light form of sattu before litti are available at local vendors. At home gatherings, things like mutton-fry, fish-fry and potato-chokha are served in small plates. Here sometimes Bhunja becomes synonymous with tasting.
- Odisha and North-Eastern States: In Odisha, fried fish, raw onion and chivda are common tastes. In Assam, Nagaland etc., small dishes made with smoked meat, bamboo shoots and local herbs are considered accompaniments to alcohol.
- Maharashtra: The bar culture of Mumbai and Pune has given a new shape to tasting. Farsan, chivda, bhadang (spicy chivda), papad, small plates of dry bhaji, tandoori and Chinese fusion snacks. Fried fish, columbi (shrimp) fry, dried Bombay duck in the Konkan region. Here the words farsaan and namkeen are used extensively for tasting.
In Maharashtra, fried fish, columbi (shrimp) fry, dried Bombay duck are used as flavourings.
- Gujarat: Despite prohibition, wherever liquor is served secretly, snacks like Dhokla, Khakhra, Gathiya, Sev, Mixed Farsan, Bhel are popular to taste. Many people use Farsan as an informal accompaniment to drinks.
- Rajasthan: Spicy papad, papad vegetable, paneer tikka, dry version of gatte, mathri, moong dal pakoda. At many places, only namkeen, chilli and onion are available at local places. Here too the words ‘tasting’ and ‘namkeen’ are more common.
- Andhra Pradesh and Telangana: The food here is famous for its spiciness, which is also visible in the taste. Mirchi Bhajji, Masala Peanuts, Chicken, Mutton Fry, Prawns Pepper Fry. Here many times they are asked for as side dishes or starters, but the main thing is to taste them.
- Karnataka: Masala Cashew, Chilli Baby Corn, Gobi Manchurian, Dry Chettinad Style Chicken or Mutton. Peanut masala and mixed veg fry are very common tastes in local bars.
- Tamil Nadu and Kerala: In Kerala’s Toddy Shops (Kallu Shaal), dishes like fish fry, beef fry, egg curry are eaten along with Toddy. Chicken, fish fry, masala vada, sundal (dry dish of gram/rajma) are popular with drinks in Tamil Nadu. Most of the words here are side dishes, starters or local language.
- Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh: In cities like Indore, Bhopal, namkeen, sev, corned beef, kachori, samosa, tandoori snacks etc. are available to taste. In rural areas, roasted gram, corn, boiled potatoes and local vegetables are served in small portions.
effect of tasting
It would be incomplete to talk about the culture of tasting only at the level of taste. Along with this, some important questions related to society and health also arise. Most snacks, especially those from bars and joints, are overly fried, salty and spicy, which can have adverse effects on blood pressure, cholesterol and digestion in the long run. There are expensive fusion platters for the upper class, and cheap peanuts and onions for the lower class. Tasting here also reflects class differences. Nevertheless, in many places, tasting has also become a means of preserving local cuisine and presenting it in a new way.
Salt coated peanuts are one of the most commonly used relishes. Photo: Getty Images
The story of tasting in India is actually also the story of the changing face of Indian society. From the paper plate of a local restaurant to the stylish platter of a modern gastro-pub, tasting has changed according to time, place, class and taste, but its identity as a companion to wine remains intact. Today, tasting is not just a means of filling the stomach, but has become a symbol of interaction, conversation, sociality and diversity of local food. Whatever the name, chakhna, farsan, bhunja or side dish, its role is the same. Making the gathering more delicious, more lively and somewhat balanced.
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