36 – Margins of edibility: Non-food in South Asian literatures
In any social context, food is defined within a structure of sanction and prohibition, inherently linking the idea of edibility with its negation—items that cannot or should not be consumed. We propose the term “non-food” to mark this negative space that delineates the margins of edibility in a society. This panel seeks to explore how South Asian literatures imagine and represent this under-researched liminal zone of non-food and the interplay of desires and anxieties it embodies. By doing so, the panel aims to shed light on the distinctive patterns of food exclusions, inclusions, and validations in South Asia, as well as the unique value systems, economic structures, and ontological philosophies that accompany them.
The proposed category of non-food is understood as encompassing matter that is potentially edible but is excluded, penalized, tabooed, restricted, or stigmatized. This labelling may arise from various factors, including dietary laws, character judgments, class and caste dynamics, religious beliefs, ethical or attitudinal standards, processes of modernization, or personal choices. The boundaries of food and non-food are fluid and often influenced by discourses surrounding modernity, puritanism, orthodoxy, and the supremacy of certain traditions over others.
Building on the concepts of vibrant matter (Bennett) and the productive power of food (Foucault), this panel views the idea of non-food as an active agent of power shaping ethical values, bodily disciplines, and socio-political relations. Consequently, the rejection or avoidance of certain potentially edible matter transcends its literal meaning, engaging with questions of identity and social divisions. The panel will examine literary representations and testimonies from South Asia that illuminate this power of the idea of non-food in defining the boundaries of edibility and, by extension, one's sense of self-identity and of belonging within society.
