What was/is the fuss all about? I kept wondering! Everytime there was/is a menu being planned or when someone mentions eating out or taking away, there was/is a hoo haaa at home!! Instantly there were/are 2 hands that go up saying “nothing for us thank you” and it was much later that i figured out the reason behind this reaction… My grandparents dont eat Onions or garlic… I dint understand why !!
Since i lived most part of my life in different cities, away from maternal grandparents it dint make too much of a difference to me on their taste preferences… only since 2000, when i’ve started living with them, did it nag me wee bit… I have no issues cooking here, and i do so quite often.. and 99.99% of the time it is without Onions and garlic, infact it makes no difference to me, cos its almost like i cook on auto pilot…
Onions and garlic stay away from my mind and ergo, the kitchen as well..I have had friends gape when i mention this… I am surprised at their reaction…
“OMG, you cook without Onions and garlic……………. how?”
I chuckle and tell them “yep, and food tastes just as good, if not better”….
They walk away shaking their head in disbelief… 😀
We go out to eat, make sure there are some dishes ordered without Onions and garlic, we do take away, same deal…. when we go out for weddings etc, me and mom/uncle are always on lookout for such dishes so grandparents can eat something!!
The nag in my mind was only because i hadn’t found a satisfactory answer to “Why they dont eat Onion or garlic”………. I have NO issues with following this rule, just want to know WHY!! 🙂
Response 1 when i was about 10– Gramma says its because after a certain point in life, one needs to stop eating them….
I dont buy it…
Response 2 when i was 12– Gramma says its cos they grow underground
ya right…i dont buy it….
Response 3 when i was 20 – Gramma says its cos they grow underground and are forbidden … cos it was followed by her parents and in laws
Dang… i still dont buy it…
I start reading, digging on the net and in books around to try and find a solution that i know they know but arent telling…. .
Voila… found it… Check out this website… Why no onions and garlic?
Onions and garlic are known to be aphrodesiacs and so avoided by many, especially those who wish to move on to the next phase of life, become more religious, closer to God… and so on!!
Garlic is good for our blood… why then would it be avoided? Am baffled… anyone got any other answers to this, pls do share……
Some more interesting reading on No onion and no garlic
Jainism follows this precept – the only reason I can think of is that they get harder to digest as we grow older. There is less intestinal gas and they are forbidden to arthritic patients
Foods are categorised as Sattwik, Rajasik and Tamasik – after a certain age it is believed that one must only go for Satwik foods and a corresponding lifestyle; Garlic is considered to be Rajasik hence not suitable for those entering vanprasthashram.
i have seen onions and garlic at home Orteedee, and we are a very stupid family of big time losers. i am the biggest idiot here. i think onion eats our intelligence and garlic eats our wisdom
Aarti…I've been on this quest before. 🙂
And I think the two answers are I got are listed in your list…one is by digging into the ground, the smaller living beings are killed…second is being aphrodesiacs !!!
Why these two veggies ??? My maternal grandparents avoided many more vegetables, which has a special flavor to it on specific days – cabbage, drumsticks, cauliflower…they always prefer the bland vegetables…I thot you are writing abt Mahalaya Patcham – which is the fortnight before the Mahalaya Amavasa on Oct 7th. Navarathri unda ????
nice one, aarti! on a topic i am so used to, i hardly think about it anymore. incidentally, one of the main reasons they are avoided is because they are considered to be aphrodisiacs. their pungent nature is said to encourage wandering of thoughts and not suitable after a certain age when one is believed to focus on God and meditate… also, as Uma says, older people also leave off vegetables one after the other. my great grandmother used to say that they used to do that so that they can reduce their intake as they grew older… eating easily digestible stuff only.. and also leave off attachment or love for food, especially their favourites.. thats also the reason why people leave off some preferred vegetable after a visit to kashi…..
Ahhhh
same pinchbecause even my grand parents doesnt eat onon and garlic…
and many a times even I like that plain food…. just a tadka of green chilli and mustard seeds…. 😀 😀
It's because garlic , although good for cleaning your blood and killing parasites, is able to break the blood brain barrier. These chemicals kill brain cells. It's a neurotoxin. That's why no bug or animal in the world will touch it…
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