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Flavours of yonder

Dhabas and idli joints are passe. Sushi and momos are beginning to catch people's fancy, writes Anima Balakrishnan

STUMPED By exotic cuisine

Adventurous cuisine for my grandmother would have been the Maggi noodles she tried at 70. Brought up on rice, sambar and avial; macaroni and Maggi never won her favour. Why just her? Burgers and pasta aside, trying out sushi or kung satay on a regular day is not something that comes naturally to lot of us. Experimenting with cuisine and exotic flavours of yonder still takes a back seat to dosas and rotis.

There are legends galore about the proverbial traveller gone lean on bread and chips as the hunt for idlis in Illinois ended in vain. Some of our cricketing heroes almost forgot the art of fast bowling as the search for a veggie joint abroad took up most of the time.

While one half of the Indian population believe they have missed out on a meal if it is not the regular dal-chawal and idli-dosa fare, there is also a burgeoning lot for whom food means a different cuisine every time.

Being different

"A new cuisine helps break the monotony of boring routine," says 25-year-old Joji Philip, a sworn non-conformist when it comes to food.

"If you don't experiment at least twice during the three meals a day, you are living like anybody else," is his logic. So, be it sushi or Tibetan food, Mughalai biriyani or appams, Joji has dug his teeth into almost everything.

Though not as adventurous, Siddharth too is game to trying out new cuisine. "When it comes to Japanese or Russian food, you may not take to them immediately," reveals Siddharth. "It is an acquired taste; but the ambience and the way the food is presented makes it worth it," he adds.

Looks like Indians are slowly waking up to the idea of trying out different cuisine. "I think there is a growing willingness to try out cuisine other than their own," says Junko Ravindran of Harima, a Japanese restaurant in Bangalore.

S. Ashok Kumar, Executive Chef, The Residency, Coimbatore, agrees. "There has been a rise in the number of people interested in trying out Thai, Mexican and even Singaporean cuisine," he says.

For adventurous foodies, trips abroad mean throwing all culinary conventions to the winds. "When you travel, you realise food is integral to knowing the place better," says Joji. During his trips to the South East Asian countries, he made it a point to try out the cuisine of the land.

"Quite a few customers were initiated to Japanese cuisine during their trips abroad," says Junko. "But there are also those who have not tried the food before, but are hooked on to it now," she elaborates. "In places like Manila, the variety of non-vegetarian food offered is huge," says Joji.

And the most bizarre cuisine, he has ever had? Hold your breath! "It was in Thailand. Insects deep-fried and served with sauce. The sauce would be slightly different for each dish and it tasted great!"

For these people, it is often a nightmare to be travelling with those who are fussy about what they eat. "When your co-traveller is busy stocking up on chips and French fries, it gets difficult. What is the point of going to a new place and not trying out their food?" asks Joji. Siddharth too shares the sentiment. "I can understand if people feel homesick and hunt for Indian restaurants after a reasonably long stay abroad. But if you are on a short trip, the idea should be to get the taste of the land," he says.

But the grouse of these avid eaters is that often it is difficult to get authentic cuisine here as food is tempered to suit the Indian palate. "The food that is commonly served here as Chinese is a far cry from the real thing," says Joji. Restaurateurs are divided on this though. "If you serve authentic Chinese food, it may not have many takers," reveals Ashok Kumar.

But Junko believes that if you have a speciality cuisine, it is better to retain authenticity. "I don't think it is necessary to temper the food to suit the needs here. Then, it will always remain an in-between cuisine. Further, people can develop taste for a different way of eating," elaborates Junko.

Veterans in the world of experimental eating believe the real flavour is out there on the streets. "I make it a point not to eat in big restaurants. It is the smaller eateries that have the best food," points out Joji.

A misconception doing the rounds, especially when it comes to new cuisine, is that it is not for the veggies. "It is not really true that such cuisine is only for non-vegetarians. We have quite a few delicacies for vegetarians too," says Junko. Though venturing into unfamiliar cuisine is not rare anymore, there still seems to be a long way to go. For there are still people "who round up an exotic meal with curd rice," says Ashok Kumar.

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