The aesthetic ways of knowing food—of being a gourmand and deriving pleasure from it—as well as ascetic responses to it—are lauded in ancient scriptural texts. In the Yogic tradition food is alive, with a prana of its own. When consumed, the quality of food influences the qualities of your body and mind. However, historically in India, food consumption has also paradoxically been governed by under- standings that lean toward asceticism and self-control as well.