I’ve got a rather special series lined up for you this July. It is something I’ve been working on for months now, and combines two of my passions: food and linguistics. Through food anecdotes and examples, I will try to explain the multiple facets of languages around the world. My grip on linguistics is rather…
Author: Utsav
Part-time radiologist, full-time foodie
Rituranga : Barsha (Part 2)
Last time, we started our exploration of monsoon foods in Bengal, focusing primarily on the iconic plate of khichuri and ilish mach. It is time to move ahead and take a look at the rest of our meal. We’ve talked about the bhaja in the previous instalment, the array of fried goodies that provide texture…
The Unvanquished
No, I don’t usually do movie reviews, but I loved this one so much that I decided to give it a shot. There are some spoilers ahead, although this is the kind of movie where you enjoy the journey rather than get thunderstruck by the ending. Hope you like it…… I’m an old soul, an…
Rituranga : Barsha (Part 1)
“As children even the first sight of dark clouds rolling towards us from the distance southeast would set us skipping with excitement. The anticipation intensified as the winds gathered force, the low rumble of thunder was heard and the first streaks of lightning rent the sky. It is hard to remain on responsive to what…
A Tale of Mango, Coconut and Ginger
When you come home after a long time, you tend to gravitate to the familiar places, to further reinforce that sense of nostalgia that starts manifesting from the moment of touchdown. Over time, these places change, so the place you return to is never quite the place you left, be it your old bedroom, your…
Curry Roux : Japan
So far in our curry series, we have examined Britain and Thailand’s take on the Indian curry, familiar yet different, a classic example of other cultures assimilating our cuisine and making it their own, a reverse Tangra chilli chicken or white sauce penne, if you will. In this final instalment, we turn our attention to…
Curry Paste : Thailand
Last week, we traced the origin of the word “curry” from its colonial roots to the skyrocketing numbers of curry houses in the UK. This week, we will examine about another distinct style of curry. Until just 1939, Thailand was referred to as Siam. Although Siam had never been colonised by the West, its cuisine…
Curry Powder : Britain
In this series, we will explore three global derivatives of the India’s most important culinary export. On the way, we will dabble in history and etymology, food science and philosophy, and a lot more. May is going to be all about the globalisation of curry. As an Indian, I absolutely detest the word “curry”. Think…
Eggplant : Flavour Sponge
Last week, we started our eggplant exploration, with a predominantly Eurocentric approach. The focus was more on the custardy texture of the eggplant and its seamless interplay with other members of the nightshade family. This time, we will focus primarily on the role of the eggplant as a sponge for flavours, with a journey through…
Eggplant : Nightshade Custard
With its purple watertight jacket encasing a firm white interior, the humble eggplant really doesn’t look like much. And indeed, on its own, it is pretty plain. But give it a stage and a couple of flavours to work with, and you will be marvelled by the things it can do. In this series, we…
The Gourmet Glutton 