Indian food was nothing like my expectations. I mean that in all the good and all the bad ways possible. I love it and I hate it. The flavors are so intense and spicy (obviously) that you either dream about a particular food and crave it for weeks or you actively avoid that food and make it known to all who have the responsibility of cooking for you that you DO NOT like it.
I am not a picky eater, so there are few foods I don’t like or can’t handle. The spice hasn’t been a huge issue because I’m no gringa when it comes to spicy food. I grew up on Mexican and hot salsa, so thankfully I’m able to down all Indian food and my host family doesn’t have to alter their usual diet for me. When Indian mom’s think I’m lying about being able to handle the spice, which they do, I just explain that I eat Mexican food with jalapeños all day and that explanation is accepted without question. Paneer is a weird food that I’m not sure if I like or not yet, so I will probably continue to eat it until I figure that out which could take all 10 month honestly. Every time I’m sure I don’t like it I’m served a dish that contains paneer that I enjoy. Paneer is cheese, but India has no yellow cheese so it’s a white cheese that’s kind of squishy. I don’t really know how to describe it that well because it is served in so many different forms. It can be fried, stewed, sautéed, or dried then fried you name it. One thing I know I do not like and cringe when I smell is rye. Rye is a spice used to cook samosas and many other Indian dishes. It has a very distinct flavor that doesn’t exist in any other global cuisine I’ve ever tasted. Besides those two items the food has been great! KFC here is amazing, way better than back home. Not that I eat at American KFC’s all the time, I just remember one particular family road trip that took a turn for the worst after a late night drive-though at KFC. Mangos here are like heaven enclosed to fit inside the palm of your hand. The first mango I ate reminded me of Haagen Das mango sherbet it was that good. For lunch at school we have a fruit as dessert and I found myself everyday hoping to find mangos on our tray but mango season ended right after I arrived so that’s unfortunate. All good things have to come to and end, even mangos.
Cows are sacred in India. Everyone knows that, right? They chill out in the middle of the street and make driving much more fun. Beef is not consumed by anyone I know here and I’m pretty sure it’s not even available for purchase. There may be some blackmarket for it, but I haven’t found one yet. I knew all of these things coming and it was not an issue despite my love of BBQ and a classic cheeseburger, but one thing that didn’t even cross my mind was milk and dairy products. One day in Hindi class our teacher was teaching us how to use the work “ka” or “of” and she was using cow milk as an example translating it as “guy ka dude”. She then elaborated by asking, “Now what do we drink?…buffalo milk-bhais ka dude”. All 5 of us freaked out. We had zero idea that we had been consuming buffalo milk the whole time we had been here. I had never had plain milk so that may explain why. When I had milk at home it was already poured in a coffee cup mixed with chocolate. So I asked my host family about the whole buffalo milk situation when I got home that day and they helped explain. From what I understand most Indians drink buffalo milk for religious reason, but also because they like the sweeter flavor better. I think pretty much everyone here drinks buffalo milk because even if you don’t believe cows to be sacred buffalo milk apparently tastes better, is more healthy for you, more readily available, and is what everyone drinks. Dairy products are also fun to think about. Ice cream for the most part is made from powdered milk and butter can be cow or buffalo milk. If you’re ever bored milk is always a good conversation starter.
The two English words everyone in India knows are “veg” and “non-veg”. Everywhere you go to eat you are asked if you are veg or non-veg or told that whoever you are with is only eating veg because (insert religious reason here). The funny thing about most food here is that you always have to ask if it is veg or non-veg because you never really know what you are eating. I’ve had mystery meat that was simply categorized as “mutton” but everything that is non-veg is called mutton because that’s Hindi for meat. I’ve had a veg item that was molded into the shape of meat and stuck on a stick with foil on the end to mimic meat kabobs. Because I’m spoiled I’m only used to eating chicken that’s been de-boned and my first two weeks here I had a fun time taking huge bites of chicken and spending some time after deeply regretting not checking for cartilage or teeny tiny bones. I always assume now that any meat I eat is not de-boned just to be on the safe and less pointy side. My family is currently not cooking non-veg for the next 2 months. We are allowed to eat non-veg at home and at restaurants, but raw meat is not allowed in our kitchen. I still don’t really understand why, but my mom explained it basically as Hindu blind faith.
I’m amazed and really proud of how much food I have managed to eat thus far. This is a little weird to say, yeah I understand, but let me explain. Indian mothers like to know their kids are okay and healthy just like every other normal human mother, and one way they gauge that is through food consumption. When I first came I was really frustrated with myself because I was not able to eat as much as other Indians and it’s uncomfortable to continually say “no no no” to food that is repeatedly offered to you. I have no problem downing one okay sometimes 2 pints of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream at home, but I did and sometimes still do struggle to clean my plate. I think because the food is so rich with greases, creams, and butter it’s easy to get full. I also think that when you're trying new foods you are extremely conscious of what you eat therefore you are conscious of how full you are and don’t overeat. The spicy food also makes you more thirsty and when you drink more water you get more full faster. I have now stopped downing 4-5 glasses of water at every meal and am proud to say that I can eat a meal without drinking water just like every other normal Indian!!
Every day the four other American exchange students and I eat our lunch at 1:05 with our main Hindi teacher, Dr. Rajopadhiyay in the Daly College Dining Hall. Before I started school Muskan warned me about the awful school food and assured me that if I wanted I could just wait until I got home to eat a home cooked meal instead. After one month of eating school food I agree with Muskan, it is by far not good compared to what kind of food you get at home from your host mom, but compared to the American public school lunches I’m used to at home these lunches are heaven. A meal, however lacking in flavor it may be, made on the same day it is served is always better than microwaved frozen pizzas and breaded chicken patties. Dalians can complain all they want about their school food but they would be shocked with American school lunches. The one nice difference I have come to miss is the variety we had at my home high school. We could choose among the sucky options and sometimes even sneak off campus to the nearby sonic or dairy queen for ice cream, but here's an example of what we have for lunch and the same menu repeats weekly. Hopefully this will give you a picture of what I eat everyday and a sneak peek into my daily schedule!
I am not a picky eater, so there are few foods I don’t like or can’t handle. The spice hasn’t been a huge issue because I’m no gringa when it comes to spicy food. I grew up on Mexican and hot salsa, so thankfully I’m able to down all Indian food and my host family doesn’t have to alter their usual diet for me. When Indian mom’s think I’m lying about being able to handle the spice, which they do, I just explain that I eat Mexican food with jalapeños all day and that explanation is accepted without question. Paneer is a weird food that I’m not sure if I like or not yet, so I will probably continue to eat it until I figure that out which could take all 10 month honestly. Every time I’m sure I don’t like it I’m served a dish that contains paneer that I enjoy. Paneer is cheese, but India has no yellow cheese so it’s a white cheese that’s kind of squishy. I don’t really know how to describe it that well because it is served in so many different forms. It can be fried, stewed, sautéed, or dried then fried you name it. One thing I know I do not like and cringe when I smell is rye. Rye is a spice used to cook samosas and many other Indian dishes. It has a very distinct flavor that doesn’t exist in any other global cuisine I’ve ever tasted. Besides those two items the food has been great! KFC here is amazing, way better than back home. Not that I eat at American KFC’s all the time, I just remember one particular family road trip that took a turn for the worst after a late night drive-though at KFC. Mangos here are like heaven enclosed to fit inside the palm of your hand. The first mango I ate reminded me of Haagen Das mango sherbet it was that good. For lunch at school we have a fruit as dessert and I found myself everyday hoping to find mangos on our tray but mango season ended right after I arrived so that’s unfortunate. All good things have to come to and end, even mangos.
Cows are sacred in India. Everyone knows that, right? They chill out in the middle of the street and make driving much more fun. Beef is not consumed by anyone I know here and I’m pretty sure it’s not even available for purchase. There may be some blackmarket for it, but I haven’t found one yet. I knew all of these things coming and it was not an issue despite my love of BBQ and a classic cheeseburger, but one thing that didn’t even cross my mind was milk and dairy products. One day in Hindi class our teacher was teaching us how to use the work “ka” or “of” and she was using cow milk as an example translating it as “guy ka dude”. She then elaborated by asking, “Now what do we drink?…buffalo milk-bhais ka dude”. All 5 of us freaked out. We had zero idea that we had been consuming buffalo milk the whole time we had been here. I had never had plain milk so that may explain why. When I had milk at home it was already poured in a coffee cup mixed with chocolate. So I asked my host family about the whole buffalo milk situation when I got home that day and they helped explain. From what I understand most Indians drink buffalo milk for religious reason, but also because they like the sweeter flavor better. I think pretty much everyone here drinks buffalo milk because even if you don’t believe cows to be sacred buffalo milk apparently tastes better, is more healthy for you, more readily available, and is what everyone drinks. Dairy products are also fun to think about. Ice cream for the most part is made from powdered milk and butter can be cow or buffalo milk. If you’re ever bored milk is always a good conversation starter.
The two English words everyone in India knows are “veg” and “non-veg”. Everywhere you go to eat you are asked if you are veg or non-veg or told that whoever you are with is only eating veg because (insert religious reason here). The funny thing about most food here is that you always have to ask if it is veg or non-veg because you never really know what you are eating. I’ve had mystery meat that was simply categorized as “mutton” but everything that is non-veg is called mutton because that’s Hindi for meat. I’ve had a veg item that was molded into the shape of meat and stuck on a stick with foil on the end to mimic meat kabobs. Because I’m spoiled I’m only used to eating chicken that’s been de-boned and my first two weeks here I had a fun time taking huge bites of chicken and spending some time after deeply regretting not checking for cartilage or teeny tiny bones. I always assume now that any meat I eat is not de-boned just to be on the safe and less pointy side. My family is currently not cooking non-veg for the next 2 months. We are allowed to eat non-veg at home and at restaurants, but raw meat is not allowed in our kitchen. I still don’t really understand why, but my mom explained it basically as Hindu blind faith.
I’m amazed and really proud of how much food I have managed to eat thus far. This is a little weird to say, yeah I understand, but let me explain. Indian mothers like to know their kids are okay and healthy just like every other normal human mother, and one way they gauge that is through food consumption. When I first came I was really frustrated with myself because I was not able to eat as much as other Indians and it’s uncomfortable to continually say “no no no” to food that is repeatedly offered to you. I have no problem downing one okay sometimes 2 pints of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream at home, but I did and sometimes still do struggle to clean my plate. I think because the food is so rich with greases, creams, and butter it’s easy to get full. I also think that when you're trying new foods you are extremely conscious of what you eat therefore you are conscious of how full you are and don’t overeat. The spicy food also makes you more thirsty and when you drink more water you get more full faster. I have now stopped downing 4-5 glasses of water at every meal and am proud to say that I can eat a meal without drinking water just like every other normal Indian!!
Every day the four other American exchange students and I eat our lunch at 1:05 with our main Hindi teacher, Dr. Rajopadhiyay in the Daly College Dining Hall. Before I started school Muskan warned me about the awful school food and assured me that if I wanted I could just wait until I got home to eat a home cooked meal instead. After one month of eating school food I agree with Muskan, it is by far not good compared to what kind of food you get at home from your host mom, but compared to the American public school lunches I’m used to at home these lunches are heaven. A meal, however lacking in flavor it may be, made on the same day it is served is always better than microwaved frozen pizzas and breaded chicken patties. Dalians can complain all they want about their school food but they would be shocked with American school lunches. The one nice difference I have come to miss is the variety we had at my home high school. We could choose among the sucky options and sometimes even sneak off campus to the nearby sonic or dairy queen for ice cream, but here's an example of what we have for lunch and the same menu repeats weekly. Hopefully this will give you a picture of what I eat everyday and a sneak peek into my daily schedule!
This Saturday was Indian Independence Day and along with a very expert work of art I created the other exchange students and I performed in our whole school (1,000+ students and staff) assembly singing a gayatri mantra. First of all all my Indian friends can barely keep it together when I speak Hindi and when we we're all singing a sanskrit prayer they couldn't help but stifle their belly aching laughter. These school assemblies request extreme control and silence from their students which they never fail to deliver, except while the 5 Americans were on stage singing solos. Sam solo sang the chant once through, then I sang it once by myself, Liam finished off with the last solo, then we all 5 sang it once more together. It was a little mortifying because I do not have a stellar singing voice. We did not even find out we were getting microphones until we walked onstage and microphones were adjusted to be only a few inches from our mouths so everyone could hear every last off key note and mispronunciation. It was definitely a moment that you had to just laugh at yourself and go with the flow. I can send the video to those who message me and ask for it (it can't be uploaded, darn).
Here's our lovely Independence Day artwork:
Here's our lovely Independence Day artwork: