When Chef Nishant Chaubey ordered roselle tea for me last year at Roseate House where Dr. Manisha Oraon from Ranchi was doing a pop-up of local tribal cuisine of Jharkhand, I was struck by its stunning red hue and unique taste-a subtle sourness reminiscent of sweet tamarind, laced with the faint aroma of mixed flowers. I asked to see the roselle flowers, and when they were brought to me, my eyes widened with surprise! They were the same rustic kudrum flowers we ate as kids in Bihar and Jharkhand, ground into tangy chutney. I’d scoured Delhi’s farmer markets countless times for them, but they remained elusive. So common in our daily cuisine back home, these flowers were an essential part of every meal as they were considered nourishing in nature.Disclaimer: Yes, people of Jharkhand, East UP, Bengal, Assam, and Orissa, some of these ingredients are an important part of your geography too. But this article is about how I discovered these desi local foods, years later being touted as superfoods, which I never thought they were while growing up.
Nostalgia over nutritionThose were simpler days when we savoured food for its taste, not its health benefits-which actually came naturally because most of the food was homecooked and incorporated naturally available seasonal ingredients. Kudrum (roselle) stayed on our plates purely for its exotic tang, without fanfare. Flaxseeds told a similar story. I grew up watching them arrive from our village farm in steel jars, their nutty aroma filling the air. We’d mix them into rice and dal, eat them as is, or make chutney with raw mango. It is believed to cool the body in the summer and keep us safe from sunstroke. When flaxseeds exploded in popularity years later, I didn’t realize they were the same thing-until one day, by accident, I roasted a batch. The familiar scent hit me, and I knew: this “superfood” flaxseed was our good old tisi all along.Forgotten local gemsAnyone from Bihar knows ramdana (amaranth) as another favorite. We’d known them as super-light, fluffy laddoos or discs commonly available in the market during the season. They were mostly added to milk and consumed as a meal by those who were fasting and even those who were not! I think it was only recently that I discovered that they were called amaranth globally-a protein-packed seed now hyped everywhere. For those who don’t know, the town of Mokama is famous for ramdana laddoos that are made with khoya and ramdana. They have a light sweetness and earthy flavour which stands unmatched!
Makhana’s tale is well-known too: once a simple evening snack from Bihar’s ponds, now a superfood superstar in every health store. Who could have imagined these everyday staples from our childhood would one day command premium prices? It’s a reminder of how our rustic, regional foods—eaten for joy, not trends—were ahead of their time, bursting with nutrition we never quantified. Rediscovering them feels like reclaiming a piece of home.Fox Nuts (Makhana): 100 gms of makhana has 9.5 gms of protein and 14 gms of fibre. It is a good source of calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, iron. Makhana is considered good for weight loss, bones, teeth, gut and heart health, and blood sugar control.
Amaranth (Ramdana): Amaranth is a nutrient-dense, gluten-free pseudocereal packed with protein, fiber, vitamins (A, C, K), and minerals (iron, calcium, magnesium), offering benefits like improved digestion, stronger bones, better heart health (due to fiber and potassium), enhanced immunity, and antioxidant protection against inflammation and cell damage, making it great for weight management and blood sugar control. Both the grain and its leaves support overall health, from skin to blood, acting as a complete protein source with essential amino acids like lysine. It contains all essential amino acids, including lysine, rare in plant proteins, aiding muscle repair.Roselle (Kudrum): Roselle belongs to the hibiscus family, and it is a good source of vitamin C, fibre, calcium, iron, and magnesium. Rich in antioxidants, it is good for heart and liver health and has anti-inflammatory properties that are gut-healthy.
Flaxseed (Tisi): Flaxseeds are one of the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids and lignans, which are powerful antioxidants. These tiny seeds are considered beneficial for heart health, preventing cancer, controlling blood sugar, weight management, improving gut health, and even maintaining hormonal balance in the body.
Jujube (Ber): The local small-size ber used to appear in the local markets around Saraswati Puja. They were considered ‘cold’ and ‘cough-forming,’ and hence we were not allowed to consume them before Saraswati Puja; now I know our parents smartly blended traditional wisdom with religious belief. An essential part of the prasad, these were available only for two months and would quietly disappear in March. Now these humble bers are being touted as a superfood. With just 70-75 calories per 100 gms, bers have 69–76 mg of vitamin C, which is close to the daily requirement of a human body, and are a good source of iron, potassium, and calcium.
