All over the world, food connects people like nothing else can. It is the great unifier that reaches out across races, countries, regions, and ages.
Ever seen two people bond over a good cup of tea or coffee? How fast distances melt over the heady brew of a Darjeeling tea or a cup of cappuccino. A fifteen year old becomes a fifty year old's best coffee pal in minutes. A cup of aromatic second flush Darjeeling tea imparts a sublime level of satisfaction to afficianados.
Our love for biryani is another glue, uniting us across nations. So you have a Brit or a New Yorker salivating for the trademark plate of favourful rice - cooked with meat and spices, that makes an Indian heart beat faster. When the aroma of a well cooked mutton biryani wafts in, mental and cultural differences disappear in thin air, don't they? Indian curries and sauces have made more inroads into peoples' hearts and stomachs than any amount of political hobnobbing could probably have had.
And what about our love for the Chinese and Italian bestsellers? Who can resist drooling over a juicy, cheesy pizza? Or a plate of hakka noodles with hot garlic chicken? Chinese and Italian cuisine, and now Mediterranean, Japanese, and Thai cuisine, connect hearts and minds like no other.
Our kids are more American/Italian/Mexican/Thai in their food habits, than the locals of those regions maybe. Because of continued exposure to world cuisine since childhood, they find comfort in a hot bowl of lung-fung soup, or a cheesy pasta. A burger or a shawarma speaks to them in moments of stress. When down in doldrums, they find solace in a rich choco-lava cake, or a blueberry cheesecake.
As Indians, the sight of a good halwa or a payesh or a pithe instantly brings back memories of childhood and mother's love. The aroma touches our soul as it were. Food memories are really powerful and can tame the best of us. We become kids when we smell those familiar smells and remember those things associated with good food.
Ever seen two people bond over a good cup of tea or coffee? How fast distances melt over the heady brew of a Darjeeling tea or a cup of cappuccino. A fifteen year old becomes a fifty year old's best coffee pal in minutes. A cup of aromatic second flush Darjeeling tea imparts a sublime level of satisfaction to afficianados.
Our love for biryani is another glue, uniting us across nations. So you have a Brit or a New Yorker salivating for the trademark plate of favourful rice - cooked with meat and spices, that makes an Indian heart beat faster. When the aroma of a well cooked mutton biryani wafts in, mental and cultural differences disappear in thin air, don't they? Indian curries and sauces have made more inroads into peoples' hearts and stomachs than any amount of political hobnobbing could probably have had.And what about our love for the Chinese and Italian bestsellers? Who can resist drooling over a juicy, cheesy pizza? Or a plate of hakka noodles with hot garlic chicken? Chinese and Italian cuisine, and now Mediterranean, Japanese, and Thai cuisine, connect hearts and minds like no other.
Our kids are more American/Italian/Mexican/Thai in their food habits, than the locals of those regions maybe. Because of continued exposure to world cuisine since childhood, they find comfort in a hot bowl of lung-fung soup, or a cheesy pasta. A burger or a shawarma speaks to them in moments of stress. When down in doldrums, they find solace in a rich choco-lava cake, or a blueberry cheesecake.
As Indians, the sight of a good halwa or a payesh or a pithe instantly brings back memories of childhood and mother's love. The aroma touches our soul as it were. Food memories are really powerful and can tame the best of us. We become kids when we smell those familiar smells and remember those things associated with good food.
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