Prasadam.

Sumptuous Cuisine Offered to Krishna on His Altar.

Since the Krishna-consciousness movement's founder, Srila Prabhupada, first cooked for his young disciples in New York, the movement has become famous for its delicious, pure vegetarian food.

In Vaishnavism, food is more than just food; it is prasadam, God's mercy. Devotees cook as a meditation, to please God - Krishna. This means they select the purest, freshest ingredients - all vegetarian - and try to make each dish the best offering possible for the Lord. They also endeavour to keep mind and heart pure, so that the food is not subtly contaminated. When the meal is prepared, they offer it to Krishna with special prayers. Only then may it be tasted. The picture here shows an offering in our temple, but at home devotees also offer everything they cook, before eating it themselves.

Eating only prasadam is important to devotees. "You are what you eat" is a well-known saying; for someone who is practising spiritual life it's helpful to eat sanctified food, which purifies the whole body and helps keep the mind peaceful.

Creativity in the Kitchen for Krishna.