Indigenous Food, Culture and Tourism in Chamba region of Himachal Pradesh

Abstract

India is one the most beautiful countries in the world having an ancient and rich culture heritage viz grand architecture, delicious food, colourful fair and festivals, beautiful handicrafts, sculptures, paintings, music and dances. Food is an important element of culture. Food in Sanskrit means “Bhojana” which helps to understand the daily life and identity of people in every society. India is a land which provides ample amounts of food for its population ranging with a variety of grains in different corners of the country. India can be called the Food bowl for the rest of the world as huge amounts of food items are exported from India to all parts of the world. Himachal is a land with rich culture and heritage, civilizations have thrived here in this land for ages. Himachali food is not just a feast but an amalgamation of different flavours representing the local identities, heritage and culture. Food in Himachal is cooked in traditional vessels and slow cooking is a unique technique used to prepare different cuisines in different parts of the state. The present paper tries to explore Chamba’s culture and describe the various indigenous cuisines of Chamba and suggest strategies for developing attractive tourism products and promote indigenous cuisines.