Diversification of Food Culture in Lahore and it's Impact
Culture is what makes everyone different from who they are and where they originate. Different regions and their people are recognized because of their culture. It embraces all the aspects of human life and their way of communicating and interacting with other human beings. It represents the lifestyle of people. Culture is defined in a number of ways because basically it’s a manifestation of intelligence and social norms and ideas.
"Culture is the characteristics of a particular group of people, defined by everything from language, religion, cuisine, social habits, music and arts. "
Food is one of the main important roles in people’s lives which influences & impacts their culture. Many cultures have different varieties of food and ingredients. People also connect to their cultural or ethnic group through similar food patterns. Immigrants often use food as a means of retaining their cultural identity. People from different cultural backgrounds eat different foods. The ingredients, methods of preparation, preservation techniques, and types of food eaten at different meals vary among cultures. The areas in which families live and where their ancestors originated influence their food like and dislikes. These food preferences result in patterns of food choices within a cultural or regional group.
Regional food habits do exist, but they also change over time. As people immigrate, food practices and preferences are imported and exported. Families move to other locations, bringing their food preferences with them. They may use their old recipes with new ingredients, or experiment with new recipes, incorporating ingredients to match their own tastes. In addition, food itself is imported from other countries.
In addition to impacting food choices, culture also plays a role in food-related etiquette. People in Western societies may refer to food-related etiquette as table manners, a phrase that illustrates the cultural expectation of eating food or meals at a table. Some people eat with forks and spoons; more people use fingers or chopsticks. However, utensil choice is much more complicated than choosing chopsticks, fingers, or flatware. Among some groups who primarily eat food with their fingers, diners use only the right hand to eat. Some people use only three fingers of the right hand. Among other groups, use of both hands is acceptable. In some countries, licking the fingers is polite; in others, licking the fingers is considered impolite (and done only when a person thinks no one else is watching). Rules regarding polite eating may increase in formal settings. At some formal dinners, a person might be expected to choose the "right" fork from among two or three choices to match the food being eaten at a certain point in the meal.
The amount people eat and leave uneaten also varies from group to group. Some people from Middle Eastern and Southeast Asian countries might leave a little bit of food on their plates in order to indicate that their hunger has been satisfied .Cooks from other locations might be offended if food is left on the plate, indicating that the guest may have disliked the food. Similarly, a clean plate might signify either satisfaction with the meal or desire for more food.
Even the role of conversation during mealtime varies from place to place. Many families believe that mealtime is a good time to converse and to "catch up" on the lives of family and friends. Among other families, conversation during a meal is acceptable, but the topics of conversation are limited. In some Southeast Asian countries it is considered polite to limit conversation during a meal.
With a country so rich in culture and diverse in identities, the food in Pakistan has evolved through many eras in so many years since the inception of the subcontinent. As a land that has experienced extensive immigration and intermingling through many millennia, Pakistan as a part of the subcontinent has benefited from numerous food influences. Pakistani cuisine depicts the history of this land with major reminisces from the past coming from Persian, Arabic, Turkish, Afghan and Mughal influences. As our land experienced invasions and governance from all over the world, with the exact pace evolved the kind of food that we now see today. The Mughal Era saw a great fusion of culinary traditions. As Indian, Persian and Middle Eastern cuisine evolved they reached the peak of sophistication under the Mughals.
The Mughal Era is what marks the true formation of the cuisine we see today. Throughout this time food and its presentation remained one of the most important aspects of the functioning of the Mughal mansion. Wealthy people feasted on refined, expensive and selected foods at festivals and religious celebrations. The courtly traditions of Muslims, Hindus and the Mughal Empire emphasised hospitality, an open and generous kitchen, and the use of seasonal and local delicacies. Even a simple daily meal began with ritual cleansing and appreciation. The preferences for particular foods could denote caste, ethnic group and religious orientation. The flavoursome aromatic cuisines produced in that era have sustained improvisation over the years and have become some of the most eaten dishes in Pakistan. Foods like Biryani, Pulao, Pasanday and Qorma all find their precedence in the Mughal Era.
Creating centuries-old food traditions as well as innovative dishes to form contemporary basics around the cuisine have formed an integral basis of the food of today’s Pakistan. Pakistan’s major cities have had some traditional cuisines that people go miles to have. The spices used in homes, their descent from the years came long before the Mughals. The coriander, chillies, fried onions, aromatic spices all have strong bases when it comes to Pakistani cuisines. Lahore being the cultural capital and food hub takes lead among all other cities in its rich food culture.
Lahori cuisine (Urdu: لاہوری پکوان) refers to the food and cuisine of the city of Lahore in Punjab, Pakistan is extremely well known within Pakistan and worldwide too. People from Lahore are famous all over the country for their love for food. The city offers a vast variety of options when it comes to cuisine. In recent times, the style of food has achieved popularity in a number of different countries, because of its palatable and milder taste, mainly through the Pakistani diaspora.
Lahore enjoys diverse colours of culture. It’s a city of historic significance and modernism, at the same time. The city was a seat of the Mughal Empire and the Sikh Empire as well as the capital of Punjab in Mahmud Ghaznavi's 11th century empire and in the British Empire. At present, it is the capital of the Punjab province of Pakistan. Lahore is considered the cultural capital of Pakistan because of the richness in its heritage and culture exhibited by the life style of people of Lahore.
The Indian author Pran Nevile who spent his early life and youth in Lahore wrote in his book. ‘Lahore’s beyond any definition, it can only be felt.’
Lahore has changed many colours and many multicultural communities live together here. Each community marked its influence in some or other way. On studying history we found layers of traditions came from various communities in Lahore.
Lahorities always have a certain kind of pride and respect for their historical culture and norms. There is a feeling that they know about the importance and the worth of their city’s culture and values.
The importance of cuisine or food in a culture can never be overlooked. Lahore is perhaps more of a culinary mecca, with different cuisines from all over Pakistan available in the city and its own local Punjabi and Mughal dishes in abundance, all of which is fuelled by a community of people who are known for the adoration of food. Punjabi’s love for food and culture is evident from the time you enter the city. Lahore is a visual masterpiece with stunning Mughal architecture, surrounded by bustling and heaving bazaars, with an air of history floating through every corner of the city, it is a combination of tradition and passion weaved together. It is said that “Lahore has its feet in history and its heart and soul in food.”
Lahore in itself is now a whole world carrying a multitude of the past and the willingness to accept the modernism and excel. Lahore is also referred to as the heart of Pakistan as it hosts most of the arts, cuisine, festivals, film making, music, gardening and intelligentsia of the country.
Specifically talking about the history of the food culture here the arrival of Islam within South Asia influenced the local cuisine to a great degree. The influence of Central Asian, South Asian and Middle Eastern cuisine in food is ubiquitous. So this kind of influences we also found in Lahore’s traditional cuisine. Today, much of the traditional food of Lahore is influenced by the Mughlai cuisine too.The biggest influence on Lahore’s contemporary culture and cuisine is that of Kashmiris who migrated from Amritsar in 1947. Amritsar’s dominance in Lahore’s cuisine is even more. You will find shops of Amritsari sweets, hareesa, cholay in every locality of old Lahore.
The love of food seems to embed in people of Lahore before the western influences came here. Lahorities are always known for their exotic taste in food.The fun-loving and thrill seeking nature of the people and their liveliness results into a number of western cuisines and the international food chains here. In old days when lifestyles are simple, the love of food was still there. At that time the gap between rich and the poor was not that wide as it is today. The food and enjoyment were affordable for all classes. People used to buy food from vendors and shops and eats by roadside or at homes. There is a small number of restaurants out there just a decade ago. But the famous traditional food shops in Gawalmindi and Laxami chowk and in nearby vicinity which are famous even now are existed at that time. The traditional breakfast (nashta) is very famous in those days even which include varieties like Halwa purri,Nan Chanay, Nan Paye, Nihari with the traditional drink Lassi. One of the excerpts from the author and blogger who wrote about his childhood memories of old Lahore as follows.
“On Sundays we (entire family) used to go to Lawrence Garden for early morning walks. The Mall Road had very little traffic in those days and Lawrence Garden was cleaner and peaceful place. After the morning walk we used to have a delicious Puri Halwa, Nan Chana and Lassi breakfast from nearby Gawalmandi which was great fun.”
This was not just the story of one person in fact it is a story of all Lahoris who experienced the early and original Lahore far from the foreign cultural invasion and modernism. At that time the lifestyles of people and food are used to be simple. They don’t need a lot of material possession or a fancy lifestyle to be joyful. They found happiness in petty things.
The food crazy nation of Lahore is having a tremendous food culture following numerous varieties of every kind. They love entertaining themselves in the evenings with their families and children by eating food in hotels, restaurants, open spaces, footpaths, parks, fast food corners, in fact everywhere they get a chance to enjoy this hobby.
In Lahore you can find the dhaba, the food shop, bakery or café at every square. The love of food is in blood of Lahorities and they did not able to forget it a bit. However with the passage of time the food trends changed so as lifestyle of people. With the development and globalization all around the world, the influences and ideas are travelled faster than anything. With the globalization the food trend changed all over the world. The influences on food came from other countries so rapidly.
We found the universalism in the food industry because of globalization. The McDonalds, KFC, Hardees, Pizza Huts, Gloria jeans and other franchises opened internationally in all countries and their cities. Though a universal consumption trend is followed worldwide however these food chains even change their taste as per the culture and culinary activities of the region.
The fondness of food of people of Lahore and globalization both helped in successfully bringing the European, Chinese, Thai, American and other cultural foods and their chains influences into our food culture. The definitions of joy and fun are also varying with the development and time. Now the people of Lahore are seeking fun in the form of experiencing a fine dining at novel places. Over the last ten years, several restaurants mushroomed on the M.M Alam road offering Pakistani, Chinese, Thai, Continental and fast food making it a must visit dining place for a food lover. However with that passage of time the difference between the rich and poor was sadly enhanced and now we have number of strata of different classes. The food and the dining facility at M.M Alam road are mostly affordable by the middle and elite class. Now it’s not about the food only. It’s a whole experience of a fine and fancy dining and to experience a new culture.We found a lot of variety, exclusivity and creativity in interior and ambiance of restaurants in present Lahore. Some of the restaurants are more famous for their exclusive ambiance than their food. The novelty in their ambience is what attracts people.
The European trend of cafes and coffee houses also came here and are successfully running. Initially the traditional sweets are “Meethai” ,“halwajaat” ,”kulfi” and “faludas” which we still find in Lahore sweets and bakers shops. But these cafe and coffee houses changed people lifestyle and taste. Lot of different flavours of chocolate desserts and bakery stuff one can get from these shops and cafes. Moreover these places serve as the social place for the younger lot. People also go there to sit and work while having coffee or snack. The concept of tea house is not new to Lahorites as they have their first tea house in 1940’s in the form of Pak Tea House at Mall road which is very famous because of its literary gathering. Though, such literary gatherings are missed in our new coffee and tea houses , the food consumption etiquettes also changes not only in restaurants but also at home. In old time people used to sit on “dastarkhawn” a sheet spread at the floor and sit there and have their meal but with the changing trends and western influence people used to have the dining rooms and dining table for sitting and having meal. The use of hands for eating were also replaced to eat with the help of spoon, fork and knife. The traditional food cooked at home also changed because of access to so many food channels and magazines, internet from where thousands of new innovative recipes one can get and try. Moreover with the busy life style and with the increase number of working women in a society the focus on making masala jaat and pickles at home by women also changed. The instant and readymade meal trend also came in lahorites houses. Fortunately,even today in some families the old traditional way of cooking still practiced.
Food being the major entertainment is in fact the only leisure activity for Lahorities. So no matter how much more restaurants and variety of tastes come to Lahore, people are happily accepting and enjoying it here. The change in lifestyle has changed the food trends and its consumption but unable to change the love of food of Lahorities.
The writer and novelist Bapsi Sidhwa said jokingly in Lahore Literary festival,
“If you run an eating place in Lahore, you are bound to succeed.”
Recently the food streets in the historic locales of Lahore (Gawalmandi, Anarkali, and Badshahi Mosque) have attracted tourists and local people. Food streets have undergone restorations and are cordoned off in the evenings for pedestrian traffic only; numerous cafés serve local delicacies under the lights and balconies of restored havelis (traditional residential dwellings). The traditional food is served in the same traditional way as it was in the past. People of all classes will come and enjoy the food in the old Lahore ambience.
In the end we can safely conclude from where we started! The people of Lahore did not give up what they own that is their traditional culture and heritage. They are fully aware of the importance of their city, its culture, values and traditions. On one side they enjoyed and experienced the changing trends in food culture and lifestyle and on the other side they held and enjoyed the traditional values, culture and food. They found their own balance to maintain their city’s vibrant, rich and thriving life. Lahore is getting modern, richer in terms of food variety but still retains its old historical charm within.