Why Our Grandmothers Chose This Ingredient
- Desi Panjeeri Team
- Jan 4
- 4 min read
Introduction: Wisdom That Was Never Written Down
Our grandmothers rarely spoke about nutrients, calories, or macros. They didn’t read labels or follow trends. Yet, the food they chose — especially for strength, recovery, and winter — was deeply intentional.
Ingredients were never random.They were chosen through experience, observation, and care.
When our grandmothers added a specific nut, spice, or sweetener, they weren’t following a recipe book. They were responding to the body — to weather, energy levels, digestion, mood, and life stage.
This is cultural nutrition: food chosen not just to feed, but to support.
Food as Care, Not Convenience
In our grandparents’ kitchens, food was slow by default. Meals were shaped around:
Seasons
Family needs
Physical labour
Emotional states
There was no concept of “superfoods” — only foods that worked.
If someone was tired, they weren’t given stimulants.If someone was weak, they weren’t told to eat less.If someone was cold, they were warmed from the inside.
Ingredients were selected because they did a job.
Nuts: Strength for Bodies That Worked Hard
Nuts were not everyday snacks. They were reserved for times when strength was needed — winter, illness, recovery, or long working days.
Our grandmothers knew that nuts:
Sustained energy for hours
Kept hunger away
Supported physical endurance
They didn’t rely on quick sugars. They relied on slow strength.
This is why nuts often appear in foods like panjeeri — not for crunch, but for lasting support.
Ghee: Warmth, Absorption, and Recovery
Ghee was treated with respect. It wasn’t used casually, but it was never feared.
Culturally, ghee symbolised:
Nourishment
Healing
Warmth
Care
Functionally, it:
Helped digest heavy foods
Kept the body warm in winter
Supported recovery after childbirth or illness
Our grandmothers understood something modern diets often forget: fat is not the enemy when the body is depleted.
Natural Sweetness: Satisfaction Matters
Sweetness was never eliminated — it was managed.
Instead of refined syrups or artificial substitutes, sweetness came from:
Jaggery
Sugar in controlled amounts
Dried fruits
Why? Because sweetness:
Improved emotional satisfaction
Helped the body accept nourishment
Reduced cravings later
Our grandmothers knew that removing sweetness completely made food less nourishing, not more disciplined.
They understood balance long before the word became fashionable.
Spices: Gentle Support, Not Aggression
Spices were not added for heat or drama. They were added for function.
Small amounts of warming spices helped:
Digestion
Circulation
Internal warmth
Calmness
Notice the restraint.No excess. No overpowering flavours.
Traditional spice use was about precision — knowing when enough was enough.
Dry Fruits: Energy for Weak Days
On days when appetite was low, our grandmothers didn’t force full meals.
They offered:
Dates
Raisins
Nut-based preparations
Why? Because these foods:
Required little effort to eat
Provided quick but stable energy
Felt emotionally comforting
They were bridges — between exhaustion and nourishment.
Texture Was Never an Accident
Soft, warm, easy-to-eat foods dominated traditional nourishment.
This mattered.
Soft textures:
Signalled safety
Reduced digestive strain
Calmed the nervous system
Crunchy, harsh, or overly stimulating foods were avoided during recovery or winter.
Texture was a form of non-verbal care.
Seasonal Intelligence
Our grandmothers cooked differently in winter — and for good reason.
Cold weather:
Slows digestion
Increases energy needs
Strains circulation
Foods like panjeeri were designed to meet these exact needs:
Warming
Dense
Slow-releasing
Nothing about this was accidental. It was seasonal wisdom, passed down through practice, not textbooks.
Why These Foods Feel Comforting Even Today
Comfort isn’t just emotional — it’s biological.
Foods chosen by our grandmothers:
Stabilised blood sugar
Reduced internal stress
Provided predictable energy
That predictability makes the nervous system feel safe.
This is why these foods still feel grounding today, even in modern lives filled with screens, stress, and speed.
What Modern Diet Culture Misses
Today, food is often framed as:
Something to control
Something to optimise
Something to restrict
Traditional food culture framed food as support.
Instead of asking:
“How do I eat less?”
Our grandmothers asked:
“What does the body need right now?”
That single difference changes everything.
Why These Choices Still Matter
Modern bodies are not less deserving of nourishment — they’re more depleted.
Stress, mental labour, irregular routines, and emotional burnout demand the same kind of support that physical labour once did.
The ingredients our grandmothers chose still work because human physiology hasn’t changed — only our relationship with food has.
Returning to Food With Purpose
Revisiting these ingredients isn’t about nostalgia. It’s about remembering that food can:
Strengthen without overstimulation
Comfort without excess
Nourish without confusion
Each ingredient had a reason. Each combination had logic.
That logic still holds.
Final Thoughts: Wisdom You Can Taste
Our grandmothers didn’t need science to validate their choices — they had results.
People recovered.People stayed warm.People were fed properly.
In honouring the ingredients they chose, we’re not going backwards. We’re restoring something essential: food with intention.
Because when food is chosen with care, the body remembers — and responds.
Disclaimer
This article is for informational and cultural education purposes only and does not constitute medical or nutritional advice. Individual dietary needs vary. Always consult a qualified health professional before making dietary changes.
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