I have heard this phrase in many forms from a variety of people. Teachers, executives, housewives, writers and many more : Indians seem to be comfortable in any circumstances and environments. Is it evolution or constitution (physical and mental) that they are so?
I have delved into this over last many a years and often not believing the words. Is it true? Must be, as so many people of a diverse background are saying. But I do not see it as such!
Then it strikes. Most of the times, something that we are used to turns us into a blind. We do not realise what we are. I have a hypothesis that perhaps throws some light to it. I can broadly classify the reasons of my hypothesis into three parts as effects of
- food
- surroundings/micro society, and
- faith
I would touch these three in 3 different posts. First, my favorite,FOOD.
Each society is proud of its food. Italians have Pizza and pasta, Chinese have noodles, middle east has biryani, Germans have potato and beer, Scots have haggis, Americans have burgers and so on.
I find Indian food is unique in the context of the subject. Our food is complex and we have managed to not only live but enjoy that complexity. A typical Indian meal (including breakfast) is a multi course celebration. Each course has its own complexity. Every state and even smaller parts have their own versions of the meal but have one common thread - each one has a variety of flavours.
A typical Indian meal has
- a staple (generally bland)
- an accomplishment (a vegetable or a combination of vegetables)
- a taste enhancer (normally a preserve) and
- some liquid (generally more than a simple humble water).
The staple (wheat or rice based) has its own nuances - coarse or fine, hard or soft, charred or less cooked, boiled, steamed, baked or fried but is generally a plain taste. This is the only part that has no/very little complexity. The examples are chapati (unleavened flatbread made from whole wheat flour), rice (normally boiled), paratha (flatbread, normally plain), puri (deep fried and puffed made from wheat flour), dalia (broken wheat), seviya (vermicelli), etc.
The accomplishment is a riot of flavours. This is a typical dish with high amounts of water - sambhar, vegetable curry (usually more than one vegetable), raita (curd with some vegetables and garnish), etc. The complexity is deeper than visible ingredients. Each such dish has multiple tastes that are both complimenting and contrasting and sense ticklers. There are invariable more than 5 of the following in each accomplishment:
- salt (table salt, sea salt or rock salt)
- sweet (sugar or jaggary in parts of India)
- onion/garlic
- ginger
- garam masala (which itself has cumin, coriander seeds, clove, black cardamom, also known as hill cardamom, Bengal cardamom, greater cardamom, Indian cardamom, Nepal cardamom, winged cardamom, or brown cardamom, black pepper and cinnamon)
- coriander or cilantro leaves
- red or green chillies
Now the taste enhancer. This is like an extra strong dose of tastes and by itself has multiple strong tastes. These are normally chutneys or achar (pickle - Indian pickle is very different from a simpler Mediterranean pickle which is vegetables in vinegar) or papad (or papadam or apadam). Each one has a strong dose of any/many tastes of coriander/cilatro leaf, mint leaves, asafoetida, garlic, ginger, mango, chillies, strong flavoured oil, mango etc.
And the most important liquid. (I am going beyond now fashionable tea bags and instant coffee). Even if its milk then it has to have flavours of almonds or saffron, if it is yoghurt then it is flavoured with rose water or kevda ( from flowers of Pandanus fascicularis) or if it is buttermilk then the ingredients are even more in number.
Now the beauty is that Indian palate needs all these complimenting and contrasting flavours to make a complete meal.
With this riot of "man made" flavours in any/every meal, why should Indians not be ready to accept a variety in life!
I have delved into this over last many a years and often not believing the words. Is it true? Must be, as so many people of a diverse background are saying. But I do not see it as such!
Then it strikes. Most of the times, something that we are used to turns us into a blind. We do not realise what we are. I have a hypothesis that perhaps throws some light to it. I can broadly classify the reasons of my hypothesis into three parts as effects of
- food
- surroundings/micro society, and
- faith
I would touch these three in 3 different posts. First, my favorite,FOOD.
Each society is proud of its food. Italians have Pizza and pasta, Chinese have noodles, middle east has biryani, Germans have potato and beer, Scots have haggis, Americans have burgers and so on.
I find Indian food is unique in the context of the subject. Our food is complex and we have managed to not only live but enjoy that complexity. A typical Indian meal (including breakfast) is a multi course celebration. Each course has its own complexity. Every state and even smaller parts have their own versions of the meal but have one common thread - each one has a variety of flavours.
A typical Indian meal has
- a staple (generally bland)
- an accomplishment (a vegetable or a combination of vegetables)
- a taste enhancer (normally a preserve) and
- some liquid (generally more than a simple humble water).
The staple (wheat or rice based) has its own nuances - coarse or fine, hard or soft, charred or less cooked, boiled, steamed, baked or fried but is generally a plain taste. This is the only part that has no/very little complexity. The examples are chapati (unleavened flatbread made from whole wheat flour), rice (normally boiled), paratha (flatbread, normally plain), puri (deep fried and puffed made from wheat flour), dalia (broken wheat), seviya (vermicelli), etc.
The accomplishment is a riot of flavours. This is a typical dish with high amounts of water - sambhar, vegetable curry (usually more than one vegetable), raita (curd with some vegetables and garnish), etc. The complexity is deeper than visible ingredients. Each such dish has multiple tastes that are both complimenting and contrasting and sense ticklers. There are invariable more than 5 of the following in each accomplishment:
- salt (table salt, sea salt or rock salt)
- sweet (sugar or jaggary in parts of India)
- onion/garlic
- ginger
- garam masala (which itself has cumin, coriander seeds, clove, black cardamom, also known as hill cardamom, Bengal cardamom, greater cardamom, Indian cardamom, Nepal cardamom, winged cardamom, or brown cardamom, black pepper and cinnamon)
- coriander or cilantro leaves
- red or green chillies
Now the taste enhancer. This is like an extra strong dose of tastes and by itself has multiple strong tastes. These are normally chutneys or achar (pickle - Indian pickle is very different from a simpler Mediterranean pickle which is vegetables in vinegar) or papad (or papadam or apadam). Each one has a strong dose of any/many tastes of coriander/cilatro leaf, mint leaves, asafoetida, garlic, ginger, mango, chillies, strong flavoured oil, mango etc.
And the most important liquid. (I am going beyond now fashionable tea bags and instant coffee). Even if its milk then it has to have flavours of almonds or saffron, if it is yoghurt then it is flavoured with rose water or kevda ( from flowers of Pandanus fascicularis) or if it is buttermilk then the ingredients are even more in number.
Now the beauty is that Indian palate needs all these complimenting and contrasting flavours to make a complete meal.
With this riot of "man made" flavours in any/every meal, why should Indians not be ready to accept a variety in life!
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