Books and food! There is no better combination!
Honestly, was the first thought that crossed your mind “cookbooks or recipe books”? Cookbooks are great but there is a huge selection of books about food too. Food writing that educates about the food we eat. Food memoirs, food history, travelogues, and many more.
Join me as I share book recommendations on my favorite topic apart from books, food. Particularly Indian food. Where we explore the history of Indian food and spices, its origin, the cuisines, and lots more.
We cannot imagine Indian food without spices. In fact, food without spices is for the sick or when we are mourning. Not just limited to food, spices are included in desserts, over-the-counter medicines, and cosmetics.
As I launch the On the Spice Trail series, here are some books that will change your perceptions of Indian food, bust some myths, answer some long-standing questions, and above all, impact the way you eat.
Masala Lab: The Science of Indian Cooking
by Ashok Krish
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On the top of the list is the brilliant Masala Lab: The Science of Indian Cooking. The chemistry of cooking not limited to equations. A study of how different ingredients interact with each other across temperatures, proportions, and pressures.
Cooking is an art as well as a science. Masala Lab explores the science of Indian cooking. The science that our mothers and grandmothers applied to Indian dishes as second nature. Be it adding a tea bag to chickpeas while boiling. A pinch of salt to kheer. Or fenugreek seeds to rice and lentils for the batter.
I highly recommend this unique and engaging approach to Indian food. The author continues to share his thoughts on trending foods, food myths, and much more on his Instagram channel @_masalalab
The Flavour of Spice
by Marryam H. Reshii
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“A book that celebrates spices, and the integral ways in which they shape what we eat.”
Well-known food critic and writer Marryam H. Reshii takes you on an incredible journey into the world of spices. From the market yards of Guntur to the foothills of Sri Lanka to the hillsides of Sikkim to the holy city of Mashhad, Iran.
Divided into three sections, The Big Four (chilli, cumin, turmeric, and coriander), The Aromatics, and Seed Spices, this beautifully written and well-researched book explores the origins of 15 commonly used spices, how they traveled, their usage, and some amusing anecdotes. Also included are some must-try family recipes for the foodie in you.
Don’t miss this fascinating and delightful read.
Eating India: An Odyssey into the Food and Culture of the Land of Spices
by Chitrita Banerji
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Is “authentic” cuisine truly authentic? Or does it evolve over time?
Author Chitrita Banerji travels across the length and breadth of India in search of answers. From traditional weddings to roadside shacks. City markets to a temple canteen. Exploring how India’s turbulent history has shaped its people and its cuisine. Be it the Aryans, Persians, Middle Eastern Jews, Mongols, Arabs, or Europeans.
A travelogue. A book on culinary history. A food memoir. It is difficult to box the book into a genre. It is not meant to be a comprehensive chronicle of the cuisines of India but is an informative read nonetheless.
If you want to read up more on Indian culinary history, check out Feast and Fasts: A History of Food in India by Colleen Taylor Sen and Whose Samosa is it anyway?: The Story of where ‘Indian’ food really came from by Sonal Ved.
Food and Faith: A Pilgrim’s Journey through India
by Shoba Narayan
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I am sure you would agree with me that as a child, the prasad was the highlight of any religious event.
True to its name, Food and Faith is a pilgrim’s quest into the world of faith through food. Primarily devoted to Hindu temples. it explores the cultural history and the significance of 15 sacred foods or prasadams. From Udipi to Ajmer to Mumbai to Goa to Amritsar. From satvik food to Christmas eve to langar to Passover celebrations with Bene Israelis.
Not limited to food, it also explores the history and cultural significance of the 15 places of worship. Without being deeply philosophical or preachy. A testament to how food binds us all, I highly recommend you pick it up.
Farm to Fingers: The Culture and Politics of Food in Contemporary India
by Kiranmayi Bhushi
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Can food be used as a weapon? To exercise power or to express one’s identity? Who decides what a farmer can grow? What we can and cannot eat?
Farm to Fingers is a collection of essays exploring the political, economic, historical, and socio-cultural contexts of food practices. From production, transformation distribution, and consumption. The agrarian policies and their impact. The role of economic institutions.
It picks on some hot-button topics such as the meat-eating and slaughter ban, the glaring disregard for food safety, the fast-food eateries and fusion food, and above all, food sovereignty.
These are just a few books to get you started on the journey to discover the magnificent world of Indian food. Stay tuned for more recommendations throughout the series. Have you read the books above or have recommendations for me? I would love to hear them. Do share in the comments below.
This blog post is part of the blog challenge ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’ hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla.
This post was created for the Blogaberry Creative (Monthly) Challenge.
This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on a link and make a purchase, I may receive a very small percentage of the sale at no cost to you.
Photo credit: Canva.com
September 16, 2023 @ 10:02 am
I would certainly like to read Food & Faith. The idea of prasad and bhog intrigues me a lot, as does giving food for ancestors. It’s quite a link between rituals and human life. Farm to Fingers also sounds very interesting. Looking forward to Spice Trail #2.
September 16, 2023 @ 10:53 am
I totally agree with you! Books and food go well together. You seem to love Indian food and spices a lot, and I’m interested in the books you mentioned. “Masala Lab: The Science of Indian Cooking” sounds like it will study the science behind Indian food, which is interesting. It’s nice that you also talked about the author’s Instagram account. Gonna check it out rt now. The trip of spices in “The Big Four” by Marryam H. Reshii and the family recipes sound like something I don’t want to miss. Thanks for letting me know about these interesting books. I’m looking forward to learning more about Indian food and spices from your suggestions.
September 16, 2023 @ 4:08 pm
I always thought food is for eating. You changed my mind. Now I know people also research, read and write about foods. So many variety of scholarly books you opened the door to, for the less informed like me. A great post.
September 16, 2023 @ 9:23 pm
Amazing. Books on foods. I would like to read Masala Lab and travelogue food on ancient culture. Specially because it has a collection of every state culinary. Surprised to see to many books. Apart from recipe I haven’t came across such kinds of books. Thank you for updating my knowledge, Ritu❤️
September 16, 2023 @ 1:54 pm
Loved your book recommendations! I read Masala Lab and it was so different and interesting to know how food reacts with each other to create a distinctive taste.
September 16, 2023 @ 5:40 pm
Such an informative post!
September 16, 2023 @ 6:16 pm
I have read The Flavour of Spice by Marryam H. Reshii and it was wonderful. I am making a note of your other recommendations -Whose Samosa is it anyway… seems interesting to find the origins of various foods.
September 16, 2023 @ 10:00 pm
Books and food is a perfect combination which attracts me which actually encouraged me to launch the concept of recipe anthology books and you know which one I am talking about. But this time unfortunately none of the books you mentioned above I was aware about and I regret that. If I knew such books are there then trust at least few if not all would have been on my shelf. But as you know I am a Bengali so I have a special inclination towards Bengali food although I love trying dishes from other parts of India… So I will introduce you to one of the famous recipe book authors of Bengal Bela Dey. I grew up watching my mom referring to the books of Bela mam for cooking something special in her kitchen. I have no idea if the English version of her books are available or not but you will get to learn a lot from her books. You can also read the book by Chitrita Banerji- Life and Food in Bengal and Bengali Cooking: Seasons and Festivals- Available in English. Hope you will love it.
September 17, 2023 @ 12:21 pm
The books sound really interesting. I have seen some of the reels by Krish Ashok and they were very informative. I am going to pick his book first.
September 17, 2023 @ 1:52 pm
Love your recommendations. Reading food is something new and I now have some amazing books to read up. Food and books always go hand in hand and now i am excited to try to read them out.
September 19, 2023 @ 10:29 am
You have shared some amazing books. When it comes to cook books most of them have the same pattern. But the books that you shared are all unique in their own way like connecting food to faith, having a travelogue etc. This is refreshing. I have to checkout these books
September 17, 2023 @ 3:56 pm
Food! Reading about food is very gratifying and your spice trail is just wonderful. Admiration always, Ritu
September 17, 2023 @ 4:27 pm
So glad to have read your post. Definitely gonna get my hands on this book Masala Lab. Something I should have read long ago.
September 17, 2023 @ 5:09 pm
Wowww!!! now this is one genre that I have never ever explored and haven’t ever thought about trying either but after reading your reviews they sound quite exciting n interesting. What don’t you not read Ritu?… hahaha
September 17, 2023 @ 8:11 pm
Wonderful….looking forward to the rest of the series. I’m hoping Vikas Khanna will be in the series too. Ranveer Brar also talks a lot about the history of the food and in the ingredients he uses in his recipes and that makes his videos very interesting.
September 17, 2023 @ 9:51 pm
It’s been on my mind to read about Indian spices the knowledge, you read in bits and pieces but never thoroughly. I am surely grabbing this book to read.
September 18, 2023 @ 1:37 am
These cook books look really great, I would also like to add Samata’s cook books here as well because I loved them.
September 18, 2023 @ 6:57 am
Spices are what attracted India to the outside world and lured them to come and explore our homeland. Thanks for this compilation. Never knew so many books existed on spices!
September 18, 2023 @ 12:20 pm
One thing I admire about your guys is how much you love your culture. Having tons of Indian friends from the blogging world, I haven’t met yet someone who said something that’s not nice about your culture and country. And that’s true, we could all agree that when it comes to spices, India would always come first on the list.
September 18, 2023 @ 2:59 pm
Fab books and beautiful review have learnt a lot about masala lab and the author would surely read it soon.
September 19, 2023 @ 10:30 am
You have shared some amazing books. When it comes to cook books most of them have the same pattern. But the books that you shared are all unique in their own way like connecting food to faith, having a travelogue etc. This is refreshing.
September 20, 2023 @ 12:56 pm
I agree that “Books and food! There is no better combination!”. I van never read a book without munching on something. And thank you for such amazing recommendations
September 22, 2023 @ 6:02 pm
I also love to read stories behind flavours.
September 23, 2023 @ 12:16 pm
I need to check out Masala Lab cause after all old is gold the taste that the olden people gave to food we now fail to get close to that.
September 23, 2023 @ 6:25 pm
I really enjoyed your book suggestions! I read Masala Lab, and it was incredibly unique and fascinating to see how different foods interact to produce various flavours.
September 28, 2023 @ 10:32 pm
I wholeheartedly agree! Your passion for Indian cuisine and book recommendations, especially “Masala Lab,” caught my attention. “The Big Four” also sounds captivating. Thanks for sharing; I’m eager to delve into these culinary adventures!
January 16, 2024 @ 3:49 pm
That’s a great idea for a series Ritu, and I’m looking forward to reading your recommendations in the coming posts too.