Rasoda

It is interesting how we miss out on small things, yet we claim to have built the ‘pillars of society’. Unfortunately, the society that is believed to be an egalitarian paradise has got some dark avalanche of predilection. The homemakers, for example, are often treated with contempt and their efforts are undervalued. The delicacies prepared by them are marked as a sign of their obligation towards the family. We often tend to miss out on the mathematicians behind the façade of these home-serving women. A mathematician knows the tricks of handling the radius of the chappati. The isosceles shape is for beginners and the scalene paranthas are unacceptable. The artists behind these paranthas are no less than mathematicians trying to adjust a limit at a point! These women are experts in the unitary system- a topic which some learned personalities still struggle with. The art of cooking for a bigger guest list, including all the ingredients at exactly equal proportions, is beyond compare. The same thing applies to the weight and the time that is taken into consideration while cooking. The unitary system seems to have dominated our households more than anything else. The change of formulas and the metric system are the fingertip mantras of these ladies. The Fahrenheit degree is well converted to celsius and vice versa using a simple formula very quickly. The Ratio and proportions are used more in the kitchen than anywhere else. Algebra and statistics are maneuvered so well by these ladies that it can leave a tenth-grader awestruck on a day-to-day basis. A strong grasp on mensuration is essential while baking items and judging the capacity of utensils so that efficiency is maintained and energy is wisely consumed. While musicians are considered to be at par with mathematicians with the various tunings and equations that they follow while composing a note, culinary mathematics has not yet made it to the limelight. The kitchen remains the most disregarded center of activity in the house. So the next time you hear, "Rasoda mein kon tha?", remember to respond by saying “a mathematician!” rather than Rashi ben!