How the world’s biggest batches of food are made in India
India is a country of diversity, culture and cuisine. When it comes to cooking, no nation has mastered the art of the big batch quite like India. From festivals to temples, from schools to weddings, millions of people are fed every day with delicious and nutritious food prepared in massive quantities. Here are some examples of how the world’s biggest batches of food are made in India.
Onam is a harvest festival celebrated in Kerala, a state in southern India. It is also known as the festival of rice, as rice is the staple food of Kerala. Onam is celebrated with a grand feast called sadya, which consists of 26 dishes served on a banana leaf. The sadya is traditionally prepared by women in large groups, using huge pots and pans over wood-fired stoves. The dishes include rice, sambar (a lentil and vegetable stew), avial (a mixed vegetable curry), rasam (a spicy soup), pickles, chutneys, papadums and payasam (a sweet pudding). The sadya is eaten with the right hand, without any cutlery.
One of the largest sadyas in the world is organized by Thrikkakara Temple in Kochi, Kerala. The temple feeds around 150,000 people every year during Onam. The temple has a team of 500 volunteers who cook and serve the food. They use 12,000 kg of rice, 6,000 kg of vegetables, 1,500 kg of lentils, 500 kg of ghee (clarified butter), 300 kg of jaggery (unrefined sugar) and 200 kg of coconut oil to make the sadya. The temple also provides free drinking water and banana leaves for the guests.
The Golden Temple, also known as Harmandir Sahib, is a Sikh shrine located in Amritsar, Punjab. It is one of the most sacred and visited places in India. The Golden Temple has a tradition of serving free food to anyone who visits, regardless of their religion, caste or background. This service is called langar, which means communal kitchen. The langar was started by Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, who believed in equality and charity.
The Golden Temple langar feeds around 100,000 people every day. The langar operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It has a staff of 300 people and thousands of volunteers who help with cooking, serving and cleaning. The langar uses 12,000 kg of wheat flour, 1,500 kg of rice, 13,000 kg of lentils, 2,000 kg of vegetables, 1,600 kg of sugar and 500 kg of ghee every day. The food is cooked in large cauldrons over wood-fired stoves. The food is simple but tasty, consisting of roti (flatbread), dal (lentil soup), sabzi (vegetable curry), kheer (rice pudding) and tea. The food is served on steel plates and bowls, which are washed by volunteers using eco-friendly methods.
Akshaya Patra is a non-governmental organization that provides midday meals to school children in India. It was founded in 2000 by Madhu Pandit Dasa, a monk from ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness). The name Akshaya Patra means “inexhaustible vessel”, which refers to a mythical pot that could produce unlimited food. The mission of Akshaya Patra is to fight hunger and malnutrition among children and to encourage them to attend school.
Akshaya Patra is the world’s largest free-school-meal provider, feeding around 2 million children every day. It operates 52 kitchens across 12 states in India. The kitchens are equipped with modern technology and hygiene standards. The food is cooked using steam boilers and conveyor belts. The food is vegetarian and follows the local cuisine and preferences of each region. The food includes rice, roti, dal, sambar, khichdi (rice and lentil porridge), pulao (rice pilaf), curd (yogurt), vegetable curry and sweet dish. The food is packed in stainless steel containers and transported to schools in customized vehicles.
These are just some of the examples of how the world’s biggest batches of food are made in India. India is a country that celebrates food as a way of life, a way of sharing and a way of caring. The next time you visit India, don’t miss the opportunity to taste some of these amazing dishes and witness the incredible feats of cooking that happen every day.