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NCERT Solutions Curiosity Chapter 3 Activity 3.2: Let us explore — Food in different regions

Book page 36 & 37 Updated on2026-09-05

Q1.
Find out the types of food traditionally consumed and the crops grown in various states of India. You may refer to books in your library, search the internet, and interact with your friends, family and neighbours to collect information. In Table 3.2, add more states and fill the collected data.
Answer

Collect the information state by state, and always fill the three columns together — crops grown, traditional dishes, beverages — because the second and third columns come out of the first.

StateLocally grown cropsTraditional food items eatenBeverages
Punjab (given)Maize, wheat, chickpea, pulsesMakki di roti, sarson da saag, chhole bhature, parantha, halwa, kheerLassi, chhach (buttermilk), milk, tea
Karnataka (given)Rice, ragi, urad, coconutIdli, dosa, sambhar, coconut chutney, ragi mudde, palya, rasam, riceButtermilk, coffee, tea
Manipur (given)Rice, bamboo, soya beanRice, eromba (chutney), utti, singju, kangsoiBlack tea
RajasthanBajra, jowar, moth bean, gramBajra roti, dal-bati-churma, gatte ki sabzi, ker sangriChhach, jal-jeera
West BengalRice, jute, mustard, fishBhaat, machher jhol, shukto, pithe, mishti doiTea, aam pora shorbot
GujaratGroundnut, bajra, jowar, cottonDhokla, thepla, khichdi-kadhi, undhiyuChhas, tea
KeralaRice, coconut, banana, spicesPuttu-kadala, appam, avial, sadya with riceSambharam, tender coconut water, coffee
UttarakhandMandua (ragi), jhangora, gahatMandua roti, jhangore ki kheer, gahat ki dal, kafuliBuransh juice, tea
AssamRice, mustard, tea, bambooBhaat with masor tenga, khar, pithaAssam tea
How to collect it well: ask a grandparent or a neighbour from another state one fixed set of questions — “Which grain do you eat daily? Which dish is made at every festival? What do you drink with the meal?” Write the answer in the person's own words, and note the state. That is real data collection, and it is far better than copying a list from the internet.
Q2.
Why do we see diversity in traditional food consumed in various states of our country?
Answer

Because the traditional food of a state is based on the crops grown in that state, and different regions of India grow different crops.

Four reasons work together:

  1. Soil and climate. India has many soil types and climates. Rice needs plenty of water and grows in the high-rainfall east and south; wheat suits the cooler north; bajra and jowar survive in the dry west.
  2. The crops that are cultivated there. What is grown near the home is fresh, cheap and always available, so cooking grows around it — coconut in Kerala, mustard in Punjab and Bengal, bamboo shoot in the North-East.
  3. Taste preferences. The same dal is made sweetish in Gujarat, sour with tamarind in the south and with a tempering of mustard in the east.
  4. Culture and tradition. Festival foods, fasting foods and family recipes are passed down for generations — til laddoo at Makar Sankranti, pitha in Assam and Odisha, modak in Maharashtra.
The single sentence answer: in various regions of India the choice of food varies according to the cultivation of food crops in that particular region, taste preferences, culture and traditions.
Q3.
Analyse the data collected by you in Table 3.2. Are there food items that are common across states? Make a list of those food items.
Answer

Yes. When the table is compared state by state, some items appear again and again while others belong to only one place.

Common in many statesFound mainly in one state or region
Rice and wheat (roti/chapati)Ragi mudde — Karnataka
Dal or a pulse of some kindEromba, singju — Manipur
Milk, curd and buttermilk (lassi, chhach, chhas, sambharam)Dal-bati-churma — Rajasthan
TeaPuttu and appam — Kerala
Potato, onion, tomato and green vegetablesMachher jhol — West Bengal
Kheer or a milk-and-grain sweetUndhiyu — Gujarat
Why some items are everywhere: rice, wheat, dal, milk and tea are either grown almost all over the country or are easy to transport and store. A dish like eromba needs fresh bamboo shoot and fermented fish, which are local and do not travel — so it stays where it is made.
Q4.
What relation do you find between the traditional food items and the locally grown crops?
Answer

The traditional food of any state is usually based on the crops grown in that state. The link is direct — look at any row of Table 3.2 and the dish is simply the local crop, cooked.

Maize grown in Punjab → makki di roti
Ragi grown in Karnataka → ragi mudde
Bamboo and rice in Manipur → eromba and kangsoi
Bajra in Rajasthan → bajra roti
Coconut in Kerala → coconut chutney and avial
Milk from the cattle kept there → lassi, chhach, mishti doi
Why the link is so strong: in earlier times there were no trucks, cold storage or big markets. A family could cook only what grew within walking distance and what could be stored at home. Over hundreds of years, the best ways of cooking those few crops became the traditional dishes of the region.
Tip for the exam: if a question gives you a state and asks for its food, first ask yourself “what grows there?” The dish almost always follows the crop.
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