‘The Test of Taste’: New Media and the ‘Progressive Indian Foodscape’

Abstract

The discourse surrounding the Indian foodscape has constantly evolved. In the recent past, the Indian foodscape has observably undergone a stark change, especially in the way people perceive and present food. The globalisation and proliferation of both traditional and social media have had a strong impact on the food fabric of India on the restaurant and household level. While shows like MasterChef Australia were instrumental in diffusing artistic food parlance, social media tools, such as Instagram, made mobile phones synonymous with cutlery on tables. The diverse offerings and food packaging in the Indian culinary landscape is slowly turning the food culture into an ‘experience culture’ and consequently, a ‘taste culture’. Also, table theatrics and fusionism have become rampant in the Indian foodscape often creating a hyperreal dining experience. Based on the in-depth interviews with food bloggers, food experts and food enthusiasts, this article argues that the contemporary Indian foodscape increasingly looks beyond just sustenance and attaches meanings of class and art to it. Therefore, this article problematises and assesses the emerging trends in the contemporary Indian food industry through a ‘social-mediatised gaze’, thereby making substantial contributions to the field of media studies and culture studies.