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Udupi restaurants in Bangalore are a byproduct of colonisation and the lack of a stable economy in most Indian villages. Originating in the coastal region of Karnataka, Udupi cuisine emerged from specific religious, social, and economic conditions that shaped the culinary practices of the Shivalli Brahmin community. This history and heritage are influenced by people migrating from one part of the state to another to open restaurants and bring recipes developed in the private sphere into the public sphere. This research paper attempts to trace the history, heritage, and tradition of restaurant food in Udupi and the changes that migration has brought about. It also examines how Udupi restaurants have influenced food and food service in Bangalore. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on the food that these restaurants prepare. It is necessary to track the changes that the pandemic has brought about in the kinds of dishes that are prepared in the restaurants. The pandemic also brings to light the kinship relations and the networks that migrant communities tend to have. These communities help people survive these drastic changes. Throughout the research, it becomes clear that most restaurant owners in Bangalore are from Kundapura. An attempt is made to trace the reasons for this change through history and to understand the identity politics that play into the migration.
Migration has a significant impact on a community's food practices. People from Udupi have traditionally migrated to Bangalore, Mysore, Chennai, and other cities in search of work. The Shaivalli Brahmin community is particularly known for its chain of restaurants. The study adopts a qualitative, interdisciplinary methodology, drawing on published scholarly literature and theoretical perspectives from food studies, migration studies, and cultural studies. It also aims to understand the importance of memory and orality in the transmission of these recipes from one generation to another. The study aims to understand how food becomes not just a marker of identity but also maintains cultural continuity while adjusting to new ecosystems of urbanization and commercialization.
Ayushi Dwivedi. “Changing Flavours: An Analysis of the Influence of Migration on the Flavours of Udupi Restaurant Food.” The Criterion: An International Journal in English, vol. 17, no. 3, June 2026, pp. 102-113. DOI, https://doi.org/10.66376/criterion.v17.n3.7.
Open Access · CC BY 4.0 · Crossref DOI ·
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