Bhubaneswar, Feb. 12 -- On January 31, 1897, Baroda hosted more than a royal dinner - it staged a statement. The Maharaja of Baroda welcomed Maharaja Scindia of Gwalior at a time when India was firmly under British rule. While imperial authority dominated the political landscape, princely states expressed their relevance in subtler, more sophisticated ways.

One of those ways was cuisine.

Within palace walls, food was not just indulgence. It was image-making. It was diplomacy. It was a language of prestige.

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The evening might have faded into obscurity if not for a remarkable archival survival. The printed me...