I received my first lessons in feminism while watching the cartoon serial Meena on Doordarshan. One of the show’s episodes talked about the difference between the quality and quantity of contents in a girl’s and a boy’s plate from the same family. While the family in Meena learned to do away with food sexism, there is a long way to go to rid our society of a practice that is deep-rooted in our culture.

Enraged by Indra Nooyi’s suggestion to Pepsico about introducing women-friendly crunch-less chips, HuffPost India editor Rituparna Chatterjee, started a thread on Twitter discussing the food sexism prevalent in Indian families.

Here is Rituparna’s post:

Rituparna Chatterjee on Twitter

Today’s feminism thread: That crunch-less chips for women reminded me of the sexism around food in Indian families we knew growing up. The times our mothers claimed they’re “not fond of a food” because it had probably run out. Why boys are served leg pieces of chicken, fish heads

Eventually, the thread started trending as it sparked a debate on a topic that has seldom been discussed and always been pushed under the rug or been taken as a norm. Gradually Indian women, as well as women from all over the world, started replying on the thread narrating their own stories of food sexism at home.

Here are some of the replies:

Aparna on Twitter

@MasalaBai I have seen this happen in my family during every festival or get-together. It took hyperacidity for my mum to realise how she was putting herself at risk by not eating on time.

indrani on Twitter

@MasalaBai remembering things. always women gave up food. widows don’t eat fish, meat, not even masoor dal. the array of veg food, minus onion & garlic that the widows of bengal created. ekadoshi, ombubachi. a way to spend less on women? why feed her when she can’t give anything in return?

Irresistible on Twitter

@MasalaBai @horror06 Great thread!! Agree100%.. I related to the serving of fish heads/ leg pieces thinking of my great grandma who had once told this & I was very surprised

Alex #FBPE on Twitter

@kindamuslim @MasalaBai But even in families where women work and men don’t, women still do more childcare and housework. This is true even in the UK and the US.

The thread brought back memories of boys being given all the extra slices of chocolate cake at my aunt’s home even when I was the one who baked.