One of the things that I love about a traditional South Indian lunch is the array of items served. The most environmentally friendly plate, the banana leaf, forms the perfect backdrop for the plethora of colorful dishes that are laid upon it. Once done the with the meal the banana leaf along with any remnants of the lunch is offered to the local cows, who eat then produce fertilizer for the next round of veggies to grace the next meal. Aah, what a perfect cycle!
A Tamil meal is traditionally served on a banana leaf, with each dish placed in a particular spot on the leaf and designed to be eaten in a certain order, with specific combinations of the dishes mixed together with the fingers. Before eating, a small portion of each food is set in the upper corner as an offering to God. Meals are taken seated on the floor and, traditionally, the host continuously replenishes any food that is finished until the diner folds his or her leaf in half.
We will have many opportunities to explore this unique style of eating on our upcoming South Indian spiritual and culinary adventure in February of 2012. To find out more information about this journey click here.
