[Sca-cooks] Ancient India

[Jim and Andi Houston]

Foods written about in the Buddhist Pitakas (5th century BC):

Barley, many different kinds and colors of rice, some wheat in the north,
millet in the south, many native pulses including chickpeas

Hindus and Buddhists were still eating meat, including cows in some places,
the concept of ahimsa does not take root until 800 years later.

Spices include asafetida, mustard seed, ginger, camphor and nutmeg

Fruits included coconut, jackfruit, palm, grapes, phalsa, and several kinds
of citrus

The Buddha himself wrote in the Lankavatara Sutra: "I enjoin the taking of
food made out of rice, barley, wheat, mudga, masha, masura and other grains,
ghee, oil of sesamum, honey, molasses, sugar, fish, eggs and others, which
are full of soul qualities but devoid of faults; they were consumed by the
rishis of yore." 

Hope that answers your question!

Madhavi

-----Original Message-----
From: sca-cooks-bounces+jimandandi=cox.net at lists.ansteorra.org
[mailto:sca-cooks-bounces+jimandandi=cox.net at lists.ansteorra.org] On Behalf
Of Linda Peterson
Sent: Wednesday, January 28, 2009 5:08 PM
To: Cooks within the SCA
Subject: [Sca-cooks] Ancient India

I got a question from someone and thought I'd throw it out to the list. 
What would be typical available foodstuffs of India at the time of Buddha, 
~500BCE?
 	Mirhaxa
   mirhaxa at morktorn.com


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