Conversations on Food | Celebrating Culinary Stories, Culture, and Connection

CULTURAL

EXPLORING Culture through Food

Culture, Through Food

At Conversations on Food, the intention is not to catalogue cuisines, but to listen. To sit with stories. To recognise that food is not just about difference, but about connection, and a way to learn about culture through food.

Flora Macaulay

Beegara Oota: The Feast After the Feast

This post-wedding feast is a Kannadiga tradition featuring rich, flavorful dishes like ragi mudde with mutton curry, spicy chilli chicken, and steaming biryani. It’s more than a meal—it’s a warm, intimate gathering that lingers long after the plates are cleared.

Flora Macaulay

Kanji and Community: The Tradition of Iftar in Kayalpatnam

Sumaiya Mustafa shares how Kayalpatnam breaks its fast with rich, meat-forward Kanji, prepared at Masjids during Ramzan.

Sumaiya Mustafa

Bangalore’s Daily Bread: A Slice of the City’s Favorites

Bangalore’s bread scene blends tradition and change, from legacy bakeries to artisanal favorites, shaping the city’s daily bread choices.

Flora Macaulay

Cacao: A Fruit Beyond the Bar

Discover cacao beyond the chocolate bar—its husk, pulp, and seeds offer untapped potential, redefining what this fruit can truly be.

Flora Macaulay

Flora Macaulay

Conversations on Food was born from a love of all things food and community. Flora spent years dabbling in food writing and research, interacting with those who are deeply rooted in food. She brought home everything she learned - the flavors, the feelings, the history - so that you can get a taste of it too.

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At Conversations on Food, the intention is not to catalogue cuisines, but to listen.

To sit with stories. To recognise that food is not just about difference, but about connection, and a way to learn about culture.

To read the full story and sit with it a little longer,
visit conversationsonfood.com (link in bio)

Beegara Oota – the feast after the wedding feast. A hearty, soul-warming tradition of the Kannadigas, served with love and plenty of meat. For the full story, visit www.conversationsonfood.com – link in bio!

📷 Indu and Ajay's Beegara Oota

Vettu (cut) cake is commonly associated with tea shops in Kerala, and while that holds true, it is also found in Tamil Nadu, where it is sometimes called Muttaikose (for its resemblance to cabbage) or Aatukaal Cake (as it looks like a goat’s foot). However, what you see here is the Bangalore version, available for Iftar during the month of Ramzan at a place run by Malayalees. It’s not the best Vettu cake I’ve had, but it did bring back memories of the quintessential tea shops that are very much a part of our cultural fabric.

That aside, if you know me well, you know I’m always looking for similarities in our differences, and trust me, you’ll find them. Once again, this snack took me back to Christmas. Yes, you heard that right—Christmas. Think about all our sweet phalagharam and what they contain: flour, sugar, eggs, milk, butter, often a combination of these. Vettu cake is no different. Made with flour, semolina, eggs, milk, sugar, and cardamom, it shares a familiar essence with treats like khajoor, diamond cuts, Thekua and even kulkuls. Each of these deep-fried delights has its own slight variation, yet they remain undeniably similar.

Vettu cake, too, earns its place on my same but different list. So go ahead, look for it at your local tea shop and give it a try!

#samebutdifferent

Sumaiya Mustafa shares an insight into Iftar in Kayalpatnam, where kanji—a staple for Tamils breaking their fast—is elevated into a rich, meat-forward dish. Unlike the simpler versions across Tamil Nadu, this kanji is slow-cooked with rice, meat, and lentils, enriched with coconut milk and a tempering of whole spices, ginger-garlic paste, curd, and pandan leaves in ghee and coconut oil, making it deeply flavorful. Prepared in large batches at over 100 masjids, it ensures that everyone—fasting or not—has a nourishing meal.

Swipe left for more, and for the full story, visit conversationsonfood.com. Link in bio.

Madurai, famed for its deep-rooted meat-eating legacy with dishes like Kola Urundai, Kari Dosai, Elumbu Roast, and Meen Kuzhambu, offers a culinary story that extends far beyond its renowned meat specialties. Alongside its rich meat-based fare, Madurai also boasts a vibrant tradition of vegetarian dishes, reflecting the city’s history as a true fusion of cultures from Gujarat to Sri Lanka. This diverse culinary heritage unites both meat and vegetarian palates, embodying the essence of cultural harmony.

👉 Swipe left to explore more. For the full story, visit conversationsonfood.com. Link in bio…

#conversationsonfood

Bangalore, you’ve spoken—your favorite bread spots are in! From crusty sourdough to buttery brioche, find out where the city gets its best loaves.

For the full story, head to conversationsonfood.com! Link in bio.

#BreadLovers #bangaloreeats #conversationsonfood

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Culture, Through Food

Beegara Oota: The Feast After the Feast

Kanji and Community: The Tradition of Iftar in Kayalpatnam

Bangalore’s Daily Bread: A Slice of the City’s Favorites

Cacao: A Fruit Beyond the Bar

Flora Macaulay

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