Adaptation and Survival in India’s Culinary History India’s culinary history is a vibrant saga of adaptation, weaving together ancient grains, colonial introductions, and regional ingenuity. A century ago, diets for many were starkly ordinary—coarse millets, sparse roots, and occasional pulses defined survival for the masses. Amid this simplicity, pig toilets in regions like Maharashtra, Goa, and Karnataka exemplified pragmatic resourcefulness. These outhouses, where pigs consumed human excreta, were a practical sanitation solution in rural areas, with the pigs later eaten by some communities. Dr. Kurush Dalal highlights how wars, trade, and colonization shaped India’s foodscape, from millets’ decline to rajma’s rise. Experts like K.T. Achaya and Madhur Jaffrey underscore how necessity drove innovation, seen in tadka’s frugality and chaat’s urban spark. Pig toilets, though now fading, reflect this resilience, turning waste into sustenance. India’s cuisine continues to evolve, blendin...