INDIAN FOOD SYSTEM (More precisely, South Indian but more or less applicable
to all Indian meal systems) The following are rough translations of the
words of Kanchi Paramacharya extracted from the Tamil publication titled
Sollin Selvar (The Expert of Words), Sri Kanchi Munivar by Sri Ra.
Ganapathy. The different Indian delicacies are explained as follows.
UPPUMA: If the term uppuma is derived from the fact that we add uppu or
salt, then we also add salt to iddly, dosa and pongal! Actually, it is not
uppuma but ubbuma! The rava used for this dish expands in size to the full
vessel where heated up with water and salt. The action of rava getting
expanded is the reason for the term ubbuma.
Source:K.N.Ramesh
to all Indian meal systems) The following are rough translations of the
words of Kanchi Paramacharya extracted from the Tamil publication titled
Sollin Selvar (The Expert of Words), Sri Kanchi Munivar by Sri Ra.
Ganapathy. The different Indian delicacies are explained as follows.
SAMBHAR: Sambar is also known as kuzhambu in Tamil, a term that literally
translates to 'get confused'. Paramacharya explains how these three courses
are related to the three gunas of spirituality: the confusion of sambar is
tamo guna, the clarified and rarified flow of rasam is rajo guna and the
all-white buttermilk is satva guna. Our meal reminds us of our spiritual
path from confused inaction to a clear flow of action and finally to the
realized bliss of unity.
translates to 'get confused'. Paramacharya explains how these three courses
are related to the three gunas of spirituality: the confusion of sambar is
tamo guna, the clarified and rarified flow of rasam is rajo guna and the
all-white buttermilk is satva guna. Our meal reminds us of our spiritual
path from confused inaction to a clear flow of action and finally to the
realized bliss of unity.
![](http://www.brahminsnet.com/forums/core/images/pink.png)
RASAM: Rasam means juice, which is also the name of filtered ruchi. We say
'it was full of rasa' when a speech or song was tasteful. If something is an
extraction of juice, then would it not be clear, diluted and free of
sediments? Such is the nature of our rasam, which is clear and dilute. The
other one, served earlier to rasam in a meal, is the kuzhambu. Kuzhambu
contains dissolved tamarind and cut vegetable pieces, so it looks unclear,
its ingredients not easily seen.
'it was full of rasa' when a speech or song was tasteful. If something is an
extraction of juice, then would it not be clear, diluted and free of
sediments? Such is the nature of our rasam, which is clear and dilute. The
other one, served earlier to rasam in a meal, is the kuzhambu. Kuzhambu
contains dissolved tamarind and cut vegetable pieces, so it looks unclear,
its ingredients not easily seen.
![](http://www.brahminsnet.com/forums/core/images/pink.png)
UPPUMA: If the term uppuma is derived from the fact that we add uppu or
salt, then we also add salt to iddly, dosa and pongal! Actually, it is not
uppuma but ubbuma! The rava used for this dish expands in size to the full
vessel where heated up with water and salt. The action of rava getting
expanded is the reason for the term ubbuma.
LADDU: Ladanam (in Sanskrit) means to play, to throw. ladakam is the sports
goods used to play with. Since the ball games are the most popular, ladakam
came to mean a ball. The dish laddu is like a ball, and this term is a
shortened form of laddukam, which derived from ladakam. Laddu is also known
as kunjaa laadu. This should actually be gunjaa laadu, because the Sanskrit
term gunjA refers to the gunjA-berry, used as a measure of weight, specially
for gold. Since a laddu is a packed ball of gunjA like berries cooked out of
flour and sugar, it got this name. The singer of mUka panca sati on Ambal
Kamakshi describes her as Matangi and in that description praises her as
'gunjA bhUsha', that is, wearing chains and bangles made of gunjA-berries of
gold.
goods used to play with. Since the ball games are the most popular, ladakam
came to mean a ball. The dish laddu is like a ball, and this term is a
shortened form of laddukam, which derived from ladakam. Laddu is also known
as kunjaa laadu. This should actually be gunjaa laadu, because the Sanskrit
term gunjA refers to the gunjA-berry, used as a measure of weight, specially
for gold. Since a laddu is a packed ball of gunjA like berries cooked out of
flour and sugar, it got this name. The singer of mUka panca sati on Ambal
Kamakshi describes her as Matangi and in that description praises her as
'gunjA bhUsha', that is, wearing chains and bangles made of gunjA-berries of
gold.
PAYASAM: payas (in Sanskrit) means milk. So pAyasam literally means 'a
delicacy made of milk'. This term does not refer to the rice and jaggery
used to make pAyasam. They go with the term without saying. Actually pAyasam
is to be made by boiling rice in milk (not water) and adding jaggery. These
days we have dhal pAyasam, ravA pAyasam, sEmia pAyasam and so on, using
other things in the place of rice. Vaishanavas have a beautiful Tamil term
akkaara adisil for pAyasam. The 'akkaar' in this term is a corruption of the
Sanskrit sharkara. The English term 'sugar' is from the Arabian 'sukkar',
which in turn is from this Sanskrit term. The same term also took the forms
'saccharine' and 'jaggery'. And the name of the dish jangiri is from the
term jaggery.
delicacy made of milk'. This term does not refer to the rice and jaggery
used to make pAyasam. They go with the term without saying. Actually pAyasam
is to be made by boiling rice in milk (not water) and adding jaggery. These
days we have dhal pAyasam, ravA pAyasam, sEmia pAyasam and so on, using
other things in the place of rice. Vaishanavas have a beautiful Tamil term
akkaara adisil for pAyasam. The 'akkaar' in this term is a corruption of the
Sanskrit sharkara. The English term 'sugar' is from the Arabian 'sukkar',
which in turn is from this Sanskrit term. The same term also took the forms
'saccharine' and 'jaggery'. And the name of the dish jangiri is from the
term jaggery.
![](http://www.brahminsnet.com/forums/core/images/pink.png)
Source:K.N.Ramesh
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