Food and Medicine of Tamils in Sangam Literature

Abstract

From the beginning of man to the present day, food has been essential and indispensable in the world.  Food is not uniform in all regions. The consumption of food varies according to the climate of the country and the region. In today's time, there is a wide variety of food available in all countries, but not everyone wants to change from the food habits of that country. The food habits of the Tamils of the Sangam Age were slightly different. Literature tells us that the food that sustains life (medicine) and that food was their disease. The food that could be eaten at the same time was a delicious meal. There are evidences in Sangam literature (Ettuthogai, Pattupattu) that even though it was a delicious food, they ate it as a medicinal food. This research paper will be explored in such a way that it will find a detailed explanation of this.