Trends, lifestyle, and habits are constantly changing, yet some concepts persist owing to the necessity of time. The same can be said for zero-waste cooking; this is a sustainable approach to food preparation and cooking, aiming to eliminate wastage at every stage. Whether it's shopping, cooking, serving, or disposing, the goal is to utilize the edible part of the ingredient, repurpose leftovers, compost scraps, and minimize the use of single-use packaging.
This practice has been promoted as an environmental movement in an effort to minimise carbon footprint. It also promotes resourcefulness and flavourful cooking rooted in economic and traditional benefits. Even though it is a new adaptability for city life, zero-waste cooking is deeply rooted in the cultural and traditional practices of many communities across the globe.
Tradition and History of Waste-free Cooking:
The practice of frugality in cooking is not new; across cultures, this practice has existed for centuries, protecting the environment. They followed the philosophy of root to stem, that is, using all the edible parts of the plant from roots, leaves, stem, to fruit, the vegetable, and its peel. And the one not edible was not wasted but incorporated resourcefully into other necessities. Let's see what the traditional practices include in different cultures and countries,
1.India (Ayurveda): The Indian tradition has been deeply rooted in Ayurveda, and the ancient health and cooking practices have been inculcated in the same form, formulating revitalizing dishes with frugality. The ayurvedic food preparation was based on a person’s body type and seasonal availability, making it resourceful, devoid of wastage, and more nourishing. I remember my father saying they used to make potato peel, and green pea peel chips or sabzi, the part that is excluded in the modern food preparation was actually a vegetable base. In the same way, many practices that were practised even until the early 19th century, and if you go to remote places in India, even today, these traditional recipes warm people's hearts, and their aroma perfumes the house. Some of these are,
Rice: This I have seen my grandma doing the preparation starts with washing the rice, which is water used for watering the plant, then while it's being cooked, the excess water is separated, which is used as ‘Pej’, a soup base or soup itself, some even use it for haircare and skin care. And in many regions of India, leftover rice is either tampered with the next day to eat or fermented overnight for a soupy preparation called ‘Pakhala Bhaat’ or ‘Pazhaya Sadam’, considered probiotic.
Then, the Banana tree, every part of the plant was used, the leaves as plates, the stem used as a cooking vessel, as well as cooked for eating, the banana flower turned into curries and vegetable preparation, and the banana fruit, ripe or raw, was used for vegetable preparation, so not a single part is wasted.
Milk in ancient India was indicated as amritulya; it has multiple uses, like milk can be consumed raw or boiled, then if it curdles, it is used as curd, which can be churned into buttermilk. The malai is also separately removed and stored to make ghee or malai, so nothing is wasted.
The same can be said for the Kapavriksha, the coconut tree; its fruit is fulfilling, coconut water is a natural drink, and the flesh is used in curries for sweets, along with milk and oil extraction. Its shell, after being used for fruit, is turned into bowls, ladles, and decorative items under the sustainable utensils. Its husk or fiber and leaves are used to make mats, baskets, ropes; the leaves are also used for roofs, and the midrib of the leaves is turned into a broom. The roots of the tree are medicinal, the trunk provides timber for furniture, house beams, and boats, and the flower sap, called neer or toddy, is consumed fresh, even fermented for vinegar in traditional drinks. So, from food to shelter and crafts to fuel, it has multi-use.
In the same way, there are many zero-waste recipes in Indian cuisine, like the peels chutney, ashgourd peels vegetables, Kanji, Koftas from leftover dal, Machar jhol, Torani, bati churma, and pickles, which are quite famous and made with different fruits or vegetables in different parts of the country, each having its own taste and benefits.
2.East Asian Practices: Ever since I became a fan of Sushi, exploring East Asian cuisine has become my new exploration, and they have many frugal practices traditionally rooted in their culture, especially when it comes to cooking preparation.
In China, every part of an ingredient is used, for instance, bones for broths, vegetable peels for pickles, and leftover rice for fried rice or congee, as in Japan and Korea.
Japan emphasizes mottainai, the spirit of not wasting it, which can be seen in their dishes like miso soup enriched with vegetable scraps, or fish heads for stocks. Have you ever had their Edamame fried rice? It has the whole thing with its peel that is thrown many times, even in India, these peels are used to make chutney in rural areas
In Korean cooking, I noticed fermentation is a cultural and communal practice followed even today. They practise the culture of Fermentation, which ensures preservation and minimal waste. Some examples of it are the Kimchi made of cabbage or radish leaves, and there is soybean pulp to make stew or pancakes.
3. European Practice: What we famously enjoy today as Continental and Italian dishes is part of European culture. The zero-waste cooking in this tradition can be seen in medieval Europe, especially among peasants, where cooking was naturally aligned with zero-waste principles, owing to the limited resources, each ingredient had to be used fully. So they used bones to make hearty broths, animal fats were rendered for cooking, and bread, the staple food, was also repurposed into porridges, soups, or pudding when stale. The frugality in these countries was born out of necessity and has been followed like leftover grains become fermented drinks like ale, or vegetable tops, stalks, and peels enriched stews, ensuring nothing edible was discarded.
The Middle East & African Practices: Zero Waste Cooking in Middle Eastern and African countries has traditionally been followed and has been born from the necessity of time and respect for the food.
For instance, in the Middle Eastern kitchen, stale bread was never discarded; it was upgraded to fattoush (bread salad) or tharid (bread with broth). Bones used to flavor broth, date seeds were used to make syrup, drinks, or also used for animal feed, so it is not wasted.
In Africa, the diet revolved around resourcefulness, such as leftover grains like millet or sorghum, which were fermented into porridges or beers, and vegetable peels or stems enriched soups. Animal fats, once rendered, were stored for cooking or preservation. So nothing edible was wasted in these traditions, sustainability, community sharing, and making the most of the limited resources.
Modern-Day Zero-Waste Cooking Practices:
The practices we saw across the globe have been adopted since ancient times, yet we can see that some recipes are being made in our kitchens as well. So now to cook mindfully, what more can be done, because if we see today, it’s not like the olden times. With a fast-paced life, talking about it and taking practical steps are different. Some of the steps can be
Mindful Buying: The start is from getting the raw materials and ingredients. Try buying local produce that is seasonal, so that it is not wasted. Instead of going for set meals, change your meal seasonally according to available ingredients, it is healthy as well because with the season, our body needs those in our diet. Also, start using reusable bags and containers to reduce your carbon footprint and promote sustainability.
Smart Kitchen: Equip your household with a Zero-waste kitchen, for instance, have more earthenware, glass, and ceramics instead of plastic. Have preparation for food waste, like creating a compost bin; store food properly to avoid spoilage, like freezing or pickling excess vegetables, practise bulk buying, reusable containers, and cloth bags to reduce packaging waste. This way, you can incorporate sustainability in a modern kitchen.
Creative Cooking: This, I feel, won't be a problem like making pickle Peel chutney and chips, reusing leftover rice or flatbreads, chapatis are common. One just needs to be mindful of practising it properly and try to find more such recipes that they are not aware of.
Technology in Traditional Practice: Well, there is no doubt that many households still have excessive cooking, and people are not sure how to deal with it. Now that the practice of community fridges is popular, there are food-sharing apps that can be used to share excess food. Another is to prevent wastage, using solar dehydration and modern preservation methods.
With these few upgrades, if you are not following, you must start planning. Zero-waste cooking is something that may be a culture’s follow and has been passed down to the generations ahead. Even today, in many households, especially rural, traditional, and middle-class, follow these zero-waste principles as a part of everyday cooking. Apart from the traditional knowledge, some modern steps are taken on the social level, like the establishment of Sustainable cafes, farm-to-table dining, and the availability of eco-conscious zero-waste meal kits. Yes, packaged food or fast food has increased waste, and the use of plasticware for convenience is common. Yet there can be a solution, as many restaurants have taken the initiative to live with eco-friendly packaging and no cutlery to reduce carbon footprints.
I feel most of the culture still remembers the frugality and respect for food passed down from generation to generation, yet with running city life, it becomes difficult. Even so, a little effort from our side to protect the environment is what we can do. And if you are interested, keep following. We have some super easy and tasty zero-waste recipes for you. Until next time, go green.
P. Manika (Performist's Content Writer)
