Lifestyle in India is heavily communal. Meals are often served on a Thali —a large steel plate with small bowls (katoris) containing a balanced spectrum of flavors: sweet, sour, salty, spicy, and astringent. This reflects the Ayurvedic lifestyle, which believes food is medicine. The spices—turmeric for inflammation, cumin for digestion, cardamom for breath—are not just for heat, but for health.