Food and Cusine of Odisha – With a simple yet delicious cuisine, Odisha follows a food pattern that is somewhat similar to the neighboring states. Rice, the staple food is paired with vegetables.
Due to their deeply religious culture, most of Oriya people practice vegetarianism. But a significant proportion of population yet relishes fish and other sea food delicacies like prawns, crabs and lobsters that are found in plenty at the vast coastline of the state.
Cooked with little or absolutely no oil, Oriya food has a less calorific value.
Along with curd and coconut milk, people are very fond of sweets as well. The curd here is rich and creamy and gives the succulent flesh an additional flavor.
Not only the seafood but yams, brinjals and pumpkins are also liberally used in curd with mustard seeds giving the whole preparation that extra zing. Pithas are also very popular food items here.
These are small cakes both sweet and savory in taste. Chhenapodapitha, the caramelized custard-like dessert is also very popular not only with the locals but with the tourists also.
While at Odisha, one must manage to have a traditional must, the tasting of ‘Mahaprasad’ or the sacred food offered as ‘Bhog’ to Lord Jagannath. The temple has the world’s largest kitchen with 400 cooks and 200m hearths that feed 10,000 people daily.