As in almost every antique civilization, weather was the commander of what one could and could not eat. Ancient India exemplified this to its extreme - from the snow covered peaks of the Himalayas in the north, to the parched center, to wet forests in the south. All of these climates produced very different meals for their inhabitants, but much of Indian food has a common thread.

Let's take a journey to a fifth century Indian village. As we approach the site, we see that the village and the surrounding lands are arranged in a sort of "zone" fashion. On the outer zone, we see cows and sheep placidly grazing. Closer to the village, the second zone is comprised of fields. Here we see plowed land and crops being grown. The innermost zone is the fruit orchards and the vegetable gardens.

Finally inside the village, we find ourselves in the market. We encounter many different types of shops. Perhaps the Indian's favorite was the perfume shop. Indians not only ate well, but they smelled nice. A favorite scent of theirs was sandalwood, but the cosmetics had its practical purposes. The Indians would rub antimony in their eyes to prevent inflammation. Perfumes and cosmetics were used in many rituals and celebrations. The traditional Indian tilak (beauty spot) was placed on the forehead. During festivals, Indians would stain their palms and soles with red and yellow dye.

In the intimate center of the village, we encounter a household. Most houses were unfurnished, except for a single hourglass-shaped rattan table, which was used to eat off of. The food that the family ate was stored in the pantry, with a clever storage system. A coverless pot would store the indispensable Indian ingredients: oil, ghee (purified butter), peppers, spices, or honey. Another pot would fit exactly on top of the opening of the bottom pot, acting as a cover, and was filled with another ingredient. In a pantry, the Indians would create these stacks of pots on top of one another, with easy access and ample storage space.

Indians vehemently forbade the use of these pots as plates - any surface that was eaten off of had to be destroyed or discarded according to the Indians religious beliefs. Because of this, Indians would mostly use plain leaves as their plates. After a meal, the leaves could be easily thrown away.

What did they eat on these leaves? A typical Indian meal consisted rice with an assortment of meats, vegetables, and spices on top. This kind of meal is also prominent today. On the side would be chapati, rich flour cakes with curry. Fruit was also eaten with meals, but the type varied greatly from region to region. The mango was eaten everywhere, and the platain (banana) was eaten in the wetter areas. Dates were the major fruit in dry areas. Palm trees were used frequently in these dry areas, and they had many different uses. The palm leaves would be used to make paper, fans, and used in a process for distilling alcohol. As a beverage with the meal, Indians drank water, milk or whey, which they obtained from the market. After dinner, the Indians sometimes had a sort of "after-dinner mint": it was a betel leaf, and in it was wrapped nuts, lime, and spices. It was said to help digestion.

Ancient India is probably most famous for its caste system: an idea that states that people are naturally born into different walks of life. It originated in India as far back as 500 BC. At the top where the Brahmana, or priests. Then came the Ksyatriya, or warriors. Finally were the Vrishya and Sudra, peasants and serfs, respectively.

You could tell who was in which caste by what kind of oil they used in their food. The rich and the middle class used ghee, or refined butter, to cook. The poor used mustard or sesame oil, and safflower oil was utilized by only the poorest of the poor.

Even though farmers were quite low in the social pyramid, they were the major reason why Indian towns and villages could be self-sufficient. Of even bigger influence than the farmers, however, was the weather. In the cool north, farmers planted wheat and barley. On the plains, rice was grown. And in dry regions like the Deccan plateau, millet was the farmers' major crop. Cows were raised only for milk, since the Hindu religion considered them sacred, and it was sacrilegious to eat beef.

In practically every region, the weather caused farmers plenty of anxiety. The months from October to May were parched and dry, and hardly any crops could grow. From June to September, the monsoon began. Almost instantaneously, a torrential rain would begin and quench the thirsty fields. The monsoon, however, was a double-edged sword. Often, the weather caused as much destruction as it helped.

To save the fields and agriculture, the Indians built advanced irrigation. Huge wells and canals were built to store and transport water. The Indian kings, attempting to appear benevolent, felt a duty to support irrigation. Many kings had the tendency to begin grand expensive irrigation projects, like one dam that was rebuilt by five different kings in a row before 450 AD. These projects were rarely followed through to completion.

The changing of seasons thus became a sort of ritual for the peasants, who celebrated the onset of the wet season by offering rice to their ancestors. When the King came to a village, he would not accept only rice , however. Stories are told of men who were ruined when the king comes to their village, because he asked for lodging, food for himself and his retinue, money, supplies, and anything he might desire. Technically, the king owned every parcel of land in India. Practically, the peasants themselves were bound to the land, toiling over it as if it was their child. Peasants who lost their land for whatever reason were jeered at and sent to the next city.

Life certainly was not easy in the village we have visited. However, it can easily be said that food was a central theme in any of the ancient Indians' daily lives.

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