Maharashtrians consider anna, or food equals to
Brahma, the creator of the universe. Maharashtrians believe in offering
their food first to the God as a thanksgiving. Especially on festive
occasions, specific mithais (sweets) are offered such as ukadiche modak
(Ganesh Chaturthi) and satyanarayan puja sheera.
Maharashtrian cuisine has two major styles - Konkan and Varadi. A major
portion of Maharashtra, which lies on the coast of the Arabian Sea, is
called the Konkan having its own Konkani cuisine, which is a combination
of Malvani, Gaud Saraswat Brahmin and Goan cuisines. The cuisine for the
interior Maharashtra or the Vidarbha area is called Varadi cuisine.
Maharashtrian cuisine is packed with the subtly flavoured vegetarian
delicacies and hot aromatic meat and fish curries, while the crunchy,
crisp sweets are made mostly from rice and jiggery are also their
favourite. The Konkan food has a lot of coconut in it and strong in
masalas, red chillies and coriander.
The spicy Kolhapuri food emphasizes on mutton. The food of the Vidarbha
region is prepared strong in red chillie powder and garlic. Mumbai has
its own pot-pourri of dishes like vada pav, misal and pav bhaji, which
are immensely popular across India.
