Love Travel & Food? This Iconic Food Of The Gods Trail Is the Ultimate Delight For Every Backpacker!

Travelling to a new place, soaking in the culture with a bowl of steaming hot food, straight from local kitchens - sounds like your own version of Eat, Pray, Love? Travel and food are the two components that help you weave your own story. We recently got our hands on Bhagwaan ke Pakwaan: Food Of The Gods by Varud Gupta and Devang Singh, who travelled to every nook and corner of India to bring to life some of the lesser known delicacies. Read on to discover some of the gems that define this beautiful relationship of food, religion and community.

Rice beer served in bamboo stems trumps everything else here! Being staple of the cuisine here, rice beer isn’t just a drunken intoxication for special occasions, it’s “the one true food of Gods” here. Combine this refreshing intoxication with chicken, fish or pork belly cooked with bamboo shoots. Don’t miss out on their delicacies made with cicada insects!

Borrowing from the Zoroastrian faith and Parsi cuisine, this little town is the hub of Parsi culture. Savour the rich flavours of ingredients such as wheat, rose, sandalwood, copper and milk in novel recipes here. Indulge your taste buds in spicy appetisers made with Boi fetched from the Gujarati shores, Papra and Bakhra made specifically during death rituals or ice creams made with seasonal fruits hand churned.

The Baghdadi Jews of Kolkata is a dwindling community that remains in just 20s in number. Yet, their striking influence on the city remains alive through the food traditions that are sure to impress one and all. Hailing from the Jewish kitchens, try the Aloo Makallah or fried potato with some coriander and chilli paste, Hilbeh. Or enjoy the rich flavour of Cucumber Zalata (aka pickle) and stuffed bell peppers preparation called Mahashas here. These gems can be found amidst the majestic synagogues on Park-Esplanade.

Live the fantasies portrayed in SRK’s Asoka movie representing the battlefields of Kalinga among the relics that continue to live on. The Mahaprasad or the 56-course meal here truly brings people together from across castes and states and we’ll kid you not, cause a food coma. Some of our favourites include the traditional Besar that’s dal baked in clay pot and the biggest highlight of all, malpua.

More than just dreaming under the starry skies and living the Buddhist life, discover the Ladakhi villages of Kye Gompa and Chichum. Munch on the chewing-gum like local cheese produce called Churu, make some porridge with local barley or get tipsy on the local alcoholic variation of Chaang (after it has been served to the hungry ghost). Delicacies that caught our attention include the splendid Mutton Momos and comforting thukpas with roasted spices.

Go on to a culinary adventure with this travelogue-cum-cookbook priced at just INR 599. You’ll surely want to storm the kitchen right after being mesmerised by the drool-worthy pictures of the cuisines! We say, it even makes for an excellent gift this Valentine’s if your bae loves stirring things up with food.