How do you get the feel of a city, country or region,
without leaving your place or actually traveling several miles to be there?
Or besides language, culture, local folks and landscape,
what is the next best thing that defines a region?
There can be several
appropriate answers to these questions, but considering the title in mind, I
shall focus on food or cuisine. Cuisine of a country or region forms its permanent identity and
certainly plays a significant role. It comes across as one of the key
bricks in its foundation. Agricultural produce, raw ingredients, climate,
geography, lifestyle, population and environment contribute their individual
essence that give way to such a unique outcome. While in the good, old times - specific
or special food preparations were limited within the boundaries of a region, the picture is totally different today.
As the globe
shrinks into one unit now, it is possible to enjoy any form of cuisine from any
part of the world. With increase in tourism, culinary practices, virtual
connectivity and transportation of raw materials, you can lay hands over any type
of cuisine with ease. So, how do these cuisines relate to my mug list? Blame it
on our experimental taste buds, relocation to a different continent,
inquisitiveness and love for food (thanks to a foodie spouse), trying out
diverse cuisines has been an interesting activity in our ‘to-do’ list.
Though the
experiences turn out to be wonderful and unique (making us a proud global
citizen); it actually helps us aim two targets at once. Firstly, it crosses
a cuisine from our desired list and secondly it increases the respect,
love and admiration towards our own home food! In no way, is the taste of
these cuisines responsible for the latter. They are truly interesting and
flavorful in their own way. Yet, the mind and heart never fail to sing a patriotic
song as soon as the food is relished, reminding us of our roots! It is, as if a
mother mocks her kids for the attraction and affection towards outside
restaurant food. Because, at the end, she knows they will return back home to
the comfort of home cooked meals.
But, keeping the spirit of patriotism aside,
let me share my experiences of touching diverse cuisines. Uniqueness of its taste
and enthusiasm to sample something novel score their way into my mug list. Whether
we love the cuisine to get back to it again and again or whether we bid a
humble good-bye to never return again, each of the experiences deserve an entry
into this article. By savoring diverse cuisines, you can get a sneak-peek of their history and lifestyle. Though I could have framed this topic in my mug list earlier,
our recent rendezvous with Greek cuisine seemed to be the perfect opportunity. As
it made a proud entry in my food list at the seventh position, I was convinced
to share this topic finally.
With this, let me
take you on a ride to different regions based on my flavorful experiences.
While these are highlights from my interviews with food, do share your end of experiences
too. Do you embrace global exposure or choose to be loyal to your roots? In
either case, the output will serve as fodder for some entertainment.
Disclaimer: My knowledge about food and cuisines is as
limited as a little kid’s IQ on financial matters or corporate business. So,
kindly excuse any errors in my interpretation. Also, these experiences are
through my lens, hence take it with a pinch of salt, sugar or whatever you
like. I do not intend to make fun of any cuisine, region or country; but do feel
free to laugh with my words.
1.
Mexican
In love with their crispy tacos, nachos and
cheese dips, Mexican cuisine feels close to heart. Not to forget their
affection for spices and flavors, as it does remind of Indian cuisine in several
ways. After all there is a reason why tortillas are labelled as distant cousins
of our ‘rotis’ or excessive involvement of kidney beans remind us of ‘rajma-chawal’.
From burrito wraps (read: big frankies) to burrito bowls, tacos to quesadillas,
they are flavorful in their own way. I do have a complaint though- Mexican
cuisine does not offer anything for my sweet tooth.
2.
Italian
I always believe Italian cuisine has some
elegance, mystery, class and value hidden behind its pastas and pizzas. Italian
cuisine loves tomatoes and garlic as much as Indian cuisine loves its spices.
Flavorful sauces, generous amounts of cheese, tasty herbs and ‘too good to
resist pizzas’, what else can you ask for? Well, you could ask for a little more
spice, if your taste buds are unsatisfied with their blandness.
3.
Chinese
Indo-Chinese cuisine is simply one
of the best styles of food, let's be honest, we love our dear noodles, fried rice and Manchurian.
But this fusion is nowhere close to the authentic style. Giant boiled
vegetables, noodles and plain rice is all you can expect with this cuisine,
perfectly designed for good health and a flat stomach. While I turn to Indo-Chinese
for its garlic and ginger flavors during colder times, they seem to be simply
lost or maybe well-hidden in authentic dishes.
4.
Thai
If Italian cuisine is about tomatoes, Thai
is about coconuts. Excessive involvement of coconut in almost every dish has been the
sole reason I don’t have enough to write about (blame it on my recessive
coconut genes.) Thai cuisine deserves special mention for preserving natural
flavor of ingredients, without masking it with spices or artificial flavors.
5.
American
Though is no such thing as authentic ‘American’
cuisine, it does have some signature dishes to its credit. After all, I cannot
ignore the land that has introduced me to so many cuisines so far. I
particularly love American food for its breakfast menu- waffles, bagels, cookies, pancakes and burgers spell out ‘happiness’ in their recipes. They take
care of my sweet tooth, which is what matters.
6.
Mediterranean
Though complicated to pronounce and spell,
this cuisine is interesting and unique. If you love it, you cannot resist, but
if you dislike it, there is no turning back. Well known for falafals and hummus,
this meal makes best use of its local resources in a delicious way. It gives
new look to our chickpeas and moong lentils. And if you are wondering what are 'falafels'?
They are Middle-eastern friends of our very own moong bhajiyas.
7.
Greek
Best friend of Mediterranean cuisine, Greek food
is known for its salads, salty feta cheese, moussaka (layered dish) and sea
food. Considering our affection for vegetarian dishes alone, the options boil down to eggplant moussaka and a salad. If you love eggplants (brinjals), you may love
Mediterranean and Greek, as they seem to be in love with this infamously famous
vegetable to a great extent.
Besides
these, there are many other cuisines to be ‘tried and tasted’. French,
Vietnamese, Korean and Ethiopian are some contenders in the race. Until, I
savor those and get back with a sequel, do share your experiences. Happy eating
and traveling, after all food can take you places.
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