Abstract

Culinary art is one among the sixty four arts predominant in ancient India. King Nala is considered as a pioneer in this art. He authored Pakadarpanam, a treatise on ancient Indian cuisine, for imparting his knowledge to the future generations. This treatise comprises of 761 verses arranged in 11 chapters. It is an epitome of rich and diverse cooking styles existed in ancient India. Descriptions of rare and unique preparations like Tahari, Temana, Bhakshyaraja, etc are one among the specialties of this treatise. The author also gives special emphasize to the medicinal properties of food by considering wholesomeness, being one among the factors that promote health. This review would help the scientific community to explore ancient Indian cuisine through Pakadarpanam and initiate more researches on culinary art.

Key words: Pakadarpanam, Nala, Ashtadosha, Bhakshyaraja, Ritusandhi