Congratulations to Mr. Amaratheja Ambati, Doctoral Research Scholar at the Centre for English Language Studies (CELS), University of Hyderabad, for presenting a research paper titled “More Than Masala: The Socio-Cultural Gaps in Telugu Food Representation Online” at the seventh edition of the international Food Conference, Ecologies of Food, organized by the Umbra Institute, Perugia, Italy, from 11–14 June 2026.
The paper was co-authored with Dr. Shree Deepa, Associate Professor, Centre for English Language Studies, University of Hyderabad. The conference brought together scholars from across the globe to examine the interconnections between food systems, ecology, culture, heritage, sustainability, and society.
Presented in the “Digital Food” session, the study critically examined the representation of Telugu cuisine in digital food media, particularly on YouTube. The paper argued that online portrayals of Telugu food often privilege popular urban and commercial dishes while overlooking the rich diversity of regional, historical, tribal, and Dalit culinary traditions. Drawing upon Stuart Hall’s Theory of Representation and Pierre Bourdieu’s concept of Cultural Capital, the study analyzed prominent Telugu food channels to understand how food, language, gender, and cultural identity are negotiated in digital spaces.
The conference featured keynote lectures, panel discussions, and research presentations by scholars from leading universities and research institutions across Europe, North America, Asia, and Australia. Participation in this prestigious international forum provided an opportunity to engage with emerging interdisciplinary scholarship in Food Studies and to showcase research from the University of Hyderabad on a global academic platform.
The presentation reflects the University of Hyderabad’s continued commitment to promoting internationally relevant research and fostering academic engagement across disciplines and cultures. During his visit for this conference, he had visited several historical places including Colosseum, one of the Seven wonders of the world, St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City and libraries such as Biblioteca Angelica, a 17th century library at Rome, Italy.
Mr. Amaratheja expresses his gratitude to the University of Hyderabad for its academic support and to his mentor Dr. Shree Deepa and others at CELS for their continued guidance throughout his research journey.