Cooking Bhoga

Consciousness while Cooking

We have to understand that Kåñëa is the only enjoyer. The consciousness of this is developed in a Kåñëa Conscious temple, where the central point of all activities is Kåñëa. All cooking is carried on for Kåñëa, not for one’s own purposes. Ultimately we shall eat the prasädam, but when we cook we should think that we are cooking for Kåñëa and not for ourselves. [The Matchless Gift]

When you cook, if you think, “Oh, this nice thing is being cooked. I shall eat it very nicely,” then it is not Kåñëa. But while cooking, if you think, “Let me do it very nicely so that Kåñëa will taste it,” it is Kåñëa consciousness. [Lecture: SB: 1.5.13, New Vrindaban, June 13, 1969]

Ingredients for Cooking Bhoga

The purpose of food is to increase the duration of life, purify the mind and aid bodily strength. This is its only purpose. In the past, great authorities selected those foods that best aid health and increase life’s duration, such as milk products, sugar, rice, wheat, fruits and vegetables. These foods are very dear to those in the mode of goodness. Some other foods, such as baked corn and molasses, while not very palatable in themselves, can be made pleasant when mixed with milk or other foods. They are then in the mode of goodness. All these foods are pure by nature. They are quite distinct from untouchable things like meat and liquor. [BG: 17.8 – 10 Purport]

Kåñëa is offered foodstuff in goodness. The foodstuffs in the modes of goodness are wheat, rice, pulse (beans, peas), sugar, honey, butter and all milk preparations, vegetables, flowers, fruits, grains. So these foods can be offered in any shape, but prepared in various ways by the intelligence of the devotees. The ingredients are always the same as above, whether you fry them, boil them, bake them, powder them, or whatever way they are combined or cooked, the idea is that they must come from this group of foodstuffs. So you can make your own recipe if you like, so long as the ingredients are within this group. This foods group is stated by Krishna in the Bhagavad-Gita, and we follow accordingly. [Letter to: Kris, Los Angeles, Novembr 13, 1968]

Forbidden Foods

One who loves Kåñëa will give Him whatever He wants, and he avoids offering anything, which is undesirable or unasked for. Thus, meat, fish and eggs should not be offered to Kåñëa. If He desired such things as offerings, He would have said so. Instead He clearly requests that a leaf, fruit, flowers and water be given to Him, and He says of this offering, “I will accept it.” Therefore, we should understand that He will not accept meat, fish and eggs. Vegetables, grains, fruits, milk and water are the proper foods for human beings and are prescribed by Lord Kåñëa Himself. Whatever else we eat cannot be offered to Him, since He will not accept it. Thus we cannot be acting on the level of loving devotion if we offer such foods. [BG: 9.26 Purport]

Ice cream purchased from the market may not be offered. Because such ice cream contains sometimes undesirable things, which we should not offer. We must offer to Krishna only first class prepared foodstuff, especially made at home. We shall try to avoid as far as possible goods purchased from the market and offer to Krishna. [Letter to: Syama Dasi, Seattle, October 21, 1968] Cocoa and chocolate are not to be taken as they are intoxicants. [Letter to: Surasrestha, Los Angeles, June 14, 1972]

Because mushrooms grow in a filthy place, they are not usually offered to Krishna. [Letter to: Himavati, Delhi, November 17, 1971] Mushrooms are generally not offered, but there is no prohibition, there is no harm in them. [Letter to: Harer Nama, Los Angeles, December 01, 1968] It is not very good to use yeast in preparing prasadam. It is better to prepare bread in the process as you have seen done in the temple. [Letter to: Vibhavati, LA, July 15, 1969]

Brown rice generally is doubly boiled; therefore it cannot be used for Krishna prasadam. Unpolished rice, which looks like brown can be used. Generally in American the brown rice is doubly boiled therefore unfit. We do not mind polished or unpolished but doubly boiled mustn't be used. Doubly boiled rice is considered impure. Sun baked rice is all right. [Letter to: Mahapurusa, Calcutta, October 17, 1967] Use brown or unrefined sugar if you can find it. [Letter to: Pradyumna, Calcutta, October 17, 1967] Yogurt can be prepared in the temple, it is not very difficult. Boil the milk at night, put a little yogurt in it, and next morning you will find it full of yogurt. [Letter to: Harer Nama, LA, February 11, 1970] Vinegar is not good; it is tamasic, in the darkness, nasty food. So I think we shall not accept this pickles. [Letter to: Kirtanananda, Hawaii, March 24, 1969]