Top News

Saoji, also known as Saoji or Savji cuisine, is traditionally associated with the Saoji weaver community who migrated from Madhya Pradesh to Nagpur in the late 19th century to work in textile mills in Maharashtra. When the handloom and cotton mill industries declined, community members turned to their rich culinary heritage.

Saoji cuisine is a fiery, heavily spiced non-vegetarian culinary tradition from the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra. Nagpur’s famous Saoji cuisine has once again come into focus following a recent remark by Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe. Known for its intense flavours, fiery spice blends and distinctive cooking style, Saoji food is deeply connected to the culinary identity of Nagpur. Once the food of a weaving community before becoming a working-class meal and the pride of the Saoji community and the city of Nagpur. Keep on reading to know more about the dish and its link to Nagpur pride.

What is Saoji cuisine?

Saoji, also known as Saoji or Savji cuisine, is traditionally associated with the Saoji weaver community who migrated from Madhya Pradesh to Nagpur in the late 19th century to work in textile mills in Maharashtra. When the handloom and cotton mill industries declined, community members turned to their rich culinary heritage, opening small, unpretentious eateries () to serve the local working class, and that is how the dish made space in people's hearts.

The dish is famous for its dark, oil-rich gravies and intense heat. It relies on a signature blend of 32 ground spices rather than tomatoes or yoghurt, and that makes Saoji food stand out.