Vegan, fruitarian, eggetarian is passe and flexitarian, murgitarians and festitarians are in.

Recently, a viral Instagram reel by Krish Ashok (@_masalalab) captured the essence of the modern Indian food landscape, introducing a playful yet insightful range of food identities that reflect the fluidity and complexity of eating habits today.

With a simple question, “What type are you?”, Ashok’s reel has sparked an online conversation. The reel categorises eating habits into quirky new labels, each highlighting the adaptability and contradictions inherent in Indian diets:

Consider this for instance. Inflexitarians are individuals who follow a pure vegetarian diet both at home and outside, and are also particular about not eating at places which serve non-veg food. Opposed to them are flexitarians who are strictly vegetarian within their own homes but embrace non-vegetarian options when dining out.

Then there are Kuskatarians who are basically foodies who enjoy the rice from biryani but leave out the meat. Murgitarians, unlike the Kuskatarians, are non-vegetarians who limit their diet to chicken only.

Refusing to be restricted to petty compartmentalisations, egalitarians are those individuals who eat both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food with no bias or restrictions. Majority Indians are festitarians who avoid non-veg food during religious festivals.

Ashok’s reel has not only sparked laughter but also deeper reflection on how dietary choices in India are shifting.

Food choices in India have always been closely tied to identity, faith, and family traditions. Yet, as more people live in a globalised, modern context, the boundaries of what is “acceptable” or “traditional” are increasingly blurred.

This flexibility allows for guilt-free indulgence outside of traditional constraints, highlighting the growing trend of food choices being viewed not as moral decisions, but as personal preferences.

Whether you identify as an inflexitarian, a kuskatarian, or simply fall into one of the many other quirky categories, it’s clear that food in India is evolving, becoming more personal, more adaptable, and more reflective of individual lifestyles.