One Nation, One Papad: Why it leaves a bad taste A recent change in the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) regulation related to the moisture content of papad – the modest yet, broadly pan-Indian food item – has created a curious situation of undermining the culinary autonomy of Kerala. The FSSAI’s new rules mandate that moisture should not exceed 15% of the total mass of papad. The authority’s intentions are pure. A higher moisture content can lead to hygiene issues or even health issues. Lower moisture content leads to longer shelf life, and less chance of contamination…The rule of law is based on standardisation of measurements, regulations, and definitions. It is also quite a legitimate argument to be made that the entire country should have the same law or the same rules – one country, one rule. Intentions are always pure. Like that of the Election Commission of India that is trying to “purify” the voter list, nothing less….Those who have experienced a Malayali meal would know that papadam, as they are called in Malayalam, is different from other papads. Keralam’s papadam preparation retains more than 15-16% moisture, and this moisture content is what gives the State’s papad its particular flavour, texture, and, most importantly, the air bubbles that get formed inside when it is fried. Papad that you see in the northern part of India, or even in Tamil Nadu, does not have air bubbles when it is fried. That is because it is deep-dried before it is fried, before it is packaged and sold. Its moisture content is significantly less, around 10-12%, which gives it a longer shelf life. Now to create a national standard, the FSSAI decided that 15% should be the upper limit for moisture, which leaves the higher moisture content of Kerala papad in a fix. Here's a gift link from The Hindu. You will be able to read it without hitting a paywall for 24 hours. @the_hindu One nation, one papad: The pursuit of food uniformity threatens India’s peace and progress - The Hindu thehindu.com/news/national/o…