Abstract

Food in the Sounti tribe of Odisha functions not only as sustenance but also as a symbolic medium of identity, kinship, and ritual life. The study rooted in symbolic and interpretive anthropology, this study examines the intergenerational transmission of food practices and their role in sustaining cultural resilience. The scope of the research is to document how ritual feasts, agricultural practices, and beverages like handia embody symbolic values and sustain social cohesion while negotiating modernization, migration, and ecological disruptions. The objectives are threefold: to analyse the symbolic role of food in everyday and ritual contexts, to explore how knowledge and practices are passed down generations, and to understand the impact of contemporary changes on traditional food ways. The ethnographic fieldwork in Kiapada village, Keonjhar district, employed participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and case studies. Findings reveal that ritual foods reinforce solidarity, women act as custodians of culinary knowledge, and meal sharing strengthens kinship ties. Although younger generations are influenced by market foods and migration, ritual contexts safeguard cultural continuity. The study suggests systematic documentation of food traditions, community sensitization for younger generations, policy interventions to preserve culinary heritage, and revival of indigenous crops as sustainable strategies for safeguarding the Sounti community’s intangible cultural heritage.

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