Twitter thread about 'Brahmin' eateries in Bengaluru sparks debate on casteism; here's how internet reacted

A Twitter thread on restaurants and cafes in Bengaluru using the word ‘Brahmin’ in their name has ignited a debate over casteism on social media. The thread lists out some eateries available on food delivery platforms like Zomato and Swiggy, which use ‘Brahmin’ in their name.

Shared by user peeleraja, the thread includes screenshots of eateries advertising ‘Brahmin’ cuisine. The user also shared a story from their schooldays about how casteism remains prevalent so many years after independence.

The users also slammed the eateries and wrote, “There is no one specific Brahmin cuisine. There are Brahmins across the subcontinent with varying cuisines including fish and meat. There is no one Brahmin way of garnishing your food. When you call your eatery “Brahmin", it is a plain and simple caste signal and nothing else."

Check the thread here:

There are fig leaves you can hide behind. That "Iyengar" bakeries are a particular style. That a Sanketi kitchen cooks a specific regional cuisine. That Brahmin surnames like Adiga and Maiyya are the iwners' names etc.

No such fig leaf exists when you name your cafe "Brahmin".

— peeleraja (@peeleraja) July 24, 2022

The post garnered several reactions from users. Some wrote that such eateries were not present in cities like Delhi.

Looked it up for Delhi and couldn’t find any. At least not in my area. Can you think of any other casteist words related to food? pic.twitter.com/ZIUReFjW2i

— Moon (@moonsez) July 24, 2022

Others defended the restaurants, and wrote that the idea of adding Brahmin to the name was only ‘branding’.

There is nothing wrong in it. Those hotels if they were only Brahman to eat then it is castism. If anybody can walk in eat in such restaurants then it's only branding nothing else. Religion based branding quite common across the world. Like Halal, Kosher, Jain food etc.

— Sripathy (@Sripathymadhu) July 25, 2022

A few users shared how even dishes at some outlets had names like ‘Brahmin idli’.

One of my favourite idlis is called 'Brahmin Idli' from Arya Bhavan here in mumbai. Always made me feel weird they call it that.

— Sorrow Residual (@sethposting) July 24, 2022

One person commented that the idea behind Brahmin eateries was inspired by one outlet, leading to the “appropriation of a popular brand name by capitalist hoteliers”.

But the real reason is appropriation of a popular brand name by capitalist hoteliers.

— Roshan (@roshanonline) July 24, 2022

This is not the only time the internet has been left divided by the issue of casteism in food. In May this year, the image of a billboard advertising “Tamil Brahminical" cuisine went viral. The image in the billboard showed a man holding a dosa on a plate while the words “enjoy Tamil Brahminical cuisine” were written on the side. The board was advertising a restaurant in Kolkata.

Courtesy Maroona Murmu. Some advertiser really thought this is a good idea. pic.twitter.com/9cXO7TXTbO

— Swati Moitra (@swatiatrest) May 18, 2022

Several people slammed the advert for implying that dosa was a brahminical food item. Others questioned how the advertisers thought this was a good idea.

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