Taxonomic Analysis - North Indian Diet
- Das K
- Nov 9
- 3 min read
A taxonomic view
Analysis of Daily Food Items in North India
Families that predominate our diet.
Fabaceae :The legume family, foundational for proteins. Includes all dals (Chana, Masoor, Toor, Moong, Urad), Rajma (kidney beans), fresh Peas, and the spice Fenugreek seeds.
Poaceae :The grass family, providing staples and sweeteners. Includes Wheat for breads, Rice, Corn, Millets (Bajra, Jowar), and Jaggery from sugarcane.
Solanaceae: The nightshade family, essential for vegetables and spice. Includes Potatoes, Tomatoes, Eggplant (Brinjal), and Chillies.
Apiaceae: The celery/carrot family, crucial for base spices. Includes Cumin, Coriander seeds, Asafoetida (Hing), and fresh Coriander leaves.
Brassicaceae:The cabbage or mustard family. Includes Mustard seeds, as well as vegetables like Cauliflower, Cabbage, and Radish.
Zingiberaceae: The ginger family, for pungent spices. Includes Turmeric, fresh Ginger, and Cardamom.
Amaryllidaceae: The onion family, fundamental for aromatics. Includes Onions and Garlic.
Cucurbitaceae: The gourd family. Includes Bottle Gourd (Lauki) and other gourds like bitter gourd.
Malvaceae: The mallow family. Its most important member is Okra (Bhindi).
Myrtaceae: The myrtle family. Includes the spice Cloves and the fruit Guava.
Lamiaceae: The mint family. Prized for its fresh herbs, especially Mint (Pudina).
Anacardiaceae: The cashew family. Its most celebrated member is the Mango
Staples
Wheat - Triticum aestivum - Poaceae
Rice - Oryza sativa - Poaceae
Corn (Maize) - Zea mays - Poaceae
Pearl Millet (Bajra) - Pennisetum glaucum - Poaceae
Sorghum (Jowar) - Sorghum bicolor - Poaceae
Pulses and Legumes
Chickpea (Chana, Kabuli Chana) - Cicer arietinum - Fabaceae
Red Lentil (Masoor Dal) - Lens culinaris - Fabaceae
Pigeon Pea (Toor/Arhar Dal) - Cajanus cajan - Fabaceae
Mung Bean (Moong Dal) - Vigna radiata - Fabaceae
Urad Dal (Black Gram) - Vigna mungo - Fabaceae
Kidney Bean (Rajma) - Phaseolus vulgaris - Fabaceae
Black Chickpea (Kala Chana) - Cicer arietinum - Fabaceae
Common Vegetables
Potato - Solanum tuberosum - Solanaceae
Onion - Allium cepa - Amaryllidaceae
Tomato - Solanum lycopersicum - Solanaceae
Cauliflower - Brassica oleracea var. botrytis - Brassicaceae
Cabbage - Brassica oleracea var. capitata - Brassicaceae
Peas (Matar) - Pisum sativum - Fabaceae
Spinach (Palak) - Spinacia oleracea - Amaranthaceae
Okra (Bhindi) - Abelmoschus esculentus - Malvaceae
Bottle Gourd (Lauki) - Lagenaria siceraria - Cucurbitaceae
Eggplant (Brinjal, Baingan) - Solanum melongena - Solanaceae
Fenugreek Leaves (Methi) - Trigonella foenum-graecum - Fabaceae
Radish (Muli) - Raphanus sativus - Brassicaceae
Essential Spices and Seasonings
Cumin Seeds (Jeera) - Cuminum cyminum - Apiaceae
Coriander Seeds (Dhaniya) - Coriandrum sativum - Apiaceae
Turmeric (Haldi) - Curcuma longa - Zingiberaceae
Red Chilli Powder (Mirch) - Capsicum annuum - Solanaceae
Black Mustard Seeds (Rai) - Brassica nigra - Brassicaceae
Asafoetida (Hing) - Ferula assa-foetida - Apiaceae
Garam Masala (Blend) - Piper nigrum, Cuminum cyminum, etc. - Mixed
Green Cardamom (Choti Elaichi) - Elettaria cardamomum - Zingiberaceae
Black Cardamom (Badi Elaichi) - Amomum subulatum - Zingiberaceae
Cloves (Laung) - Syzygium aromaticum - Myrtaceae
Cinnamon (Dalchini) - Cinnamomum verum - Lauraceae
Bay Leaf (Tej Patta) - Cinnamomum tamala - Lauraceae
Cooking Fats & Oils
Mustard Oil - Brassica nigra - Brassicaceae
Ghee (Clarified Butter) - Bos taurus - Bovidae (Animal)
Sunflower Oil - Helianthus annuus - Asteraceae
Groundnut Oil - Arachis hypogaea - Fabaceae
Beverages and Sweeteners
Tea (Chai) - Camellia sinensis - Theaceae
Lassi - Bos taurus (Yogurt Base) - Bovidae (Animal)
Jaljeera (Spiced Drink) - Mentha sp. (Mint), Cuminum cyminum - Mixed
Jaggery (Gur) - Saccharum officinarum - Poaceae
Honey - Apis mellifera (Source) - Apidae (Animal)
Common Fruits
Mango - Mangifera indica - Anacardiaceae
Apple - Malus domestica - Rosaceae
Banana - Musa sp. - Musaceae
Guava - Psidium guajava - Myrtaceae
Pomegranate (Anar) - Punica granatum - Lythraceae
Herbs & Aromatics
Garlic (Lasun) - Allium sativum - Amaryllidaceae
Ginger (Adrak) - Zingiber officinale - Zingiberaceae
Mint (Pudina) - Mentha sp. - Lamiaceae
Coriander Leaves (Dhaniya) - Coriandrum sativum - Apiaceae
Dairy & Non-Dairy
Milk (Doodh) - Bos taurus - Bovidae (Animal)
Yogurt (Dahi) - Bos taurus - Bovidae (Animal)
Paneer (Indian Cottage Cheese) - Bos taurus - Bovidae (Animal)
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