How important is the shape of a food item?
Would Nachos still taste like Nachos if they weren’t triangularish in shape? (Yes, I created a new word. Deal with it).
Are Burgers and Pizzas always supposed to be round?
Would a Roti be less of a Roti if it is not a perfect circle?
I understand the importance of the visual element of food presentation, but how important is the shape to its reception by the palette?
We Indians have a strange fixation with getting our Roti ‘right’. By right, I mean round – A perfect circle.
Gol roti.
Round Indian wheat dough unleavened flatbread.
A roti, for some reason unbeknownst to me, is supposed to be round in shape. Somehow, more than the taste, thickness, or any other attribute, the shape of a Roti is of much more paramount importance in Indian households and restaurants alike. This might appear to be a joke to the uninitiated, but it is actually a serious matter. Women have been known to be chastised on account of their inability to roll a perfect round Roti. In fact, in a traditional Indian arranged marriage setup, decisions on whether a girl is suited for marriage are based on whether or not she can roll a well-rounded Roti! I wonder if this obsession arises out of taking the meaning of ‘well-rounded’ too literally: well-developed, balanced, complete; as if a Roti is a manifestation of these qualities supposed to be inherent in her.
On a serious note though, what might be the reason behind this idée fixe regarding the shape of the Roti?
Don’t expect this post to provide an answer, for I am as clueless on this as the next person.
Clueless, and contrapositioned.
For I like my Rotis any shape but round. An alternate shape adds some variety to an otherwise drab-and-dull appearance. I mean, having grown up on round Rotis, I have outgrown this shape. And while appearance and presentation of food do affect its perceived taste, I do not attribute the fixation with the shape of a Roti to this reason. On the contrary, rather than impairing it, a non-circular Roti affords a better taste (as much ‘taste’ a Roti can offer; a tasty Roti is quite an oxymoron) on account of being fresh and different. A square Roti would taste better than a round one.
And whilst it might not be possible, or practically feasible, to make, bake, cook, or prepare a Burger or a Pizza in any other shape (I might be wrong and it might be possible, I’m no authority on the subject; but I have never seen these in any other shape. Shout out if you have, I’d love to go try), a Roti is not restricted by these boundaries of shape. It might be easier to roll a round flatbread, and hence this ubiquitous shape; but if it were really this easy, would we be fixated on it?
I think not; I think the charm of a Roti lies, taste notwithstanding (Roti, no taste, remember?), into nothing else but its shape.
