Food Practices Reflected in Tinai Songs

The food practices of the Sangam period were shaped by the tinai-based ecological regions in which people lived and by the abundance of natural resources available in those regions. Rice and meat constituted the primary diet of the people during this period. Along with these, greens, pulses, vegetables, fish, and other seafood were also commonly consumed. Across the world, the dietary habits of people evolved based on the natural produce available in their respective regions. It was only after humans began to settle permanently in one place that the practice of cooking and consuming a variety of foods developed. As people learned to preserve agricultural produce grown in their own land and to prepare it through cooking, food gradually became an essential marker of regional and cultural identity. This paper seeks to explore and highlight the food practices of people living in the five tinai landscapes, as reflected in Sangam literature, and examines how these practices were closely connected to their lifestyle and natural environment.