Diet and nutrition
In the pile sorting exercise, foods were not grouped according to Western notions of nutritional content but in terms of their perceived strength (nourishing power) and digestibility. “Strong” foods, perceived as energy giving, included white sugar, lamb, beef, ghee (derived from butter), solid fat, and spices. Such foods were considered health giving and powerful for the healthy body and suitable for festive occasions, but liable to produce worsening of illness in the old or debilitated. “Weak” foods, preferred in the everyday menu and for the old or infirm, included boiled (pre fluffed) rice and cereals.