One thing that always stands out about some of the busy cities of India is the smell of garlic everywhere. I woke up this morning and went for my first city walk, and there it was again....and again... and again... for a solid kilometre. Sounds like an over-exaggeration, but really, it's not.
The roads in most of the areas of Calcutta are lined with hawkers, who are vendors who have set up huts and stalls adjacent to legitimate shops. Shops pay rent, hawkers don't. Many of these vendors are street food makers, usually specializing in 1 or 2 dishes that people flock to them for. Garlic, Onions and 6 or so spices tend to dominate the ingredient make-up of many of these dishes...like dosas, curries, uttapams (indian breakfast pancakes). So what's the end result? A city that comes alive by the smell of food in the air, and mouths hungry to consume it. Business, education and a hard days work usually begins with a good meal -- and if home-cooking doesn't satisfy then the streets meet all the cravings.
After a stroll on the streets, my dad and I ate with my uncle who own 14 Dosa/Pizza chains in Calcutta under the name "Garden Cafe". No seats, just chest level tables and delicious food. Incidentally, he was the first to introduce pizza to Calcutta -- even cooler is that my Dad showed him the recipe and how to make them 25 years ago. So I learned today that my pops may have been partly responsible for the uprise in pizza culture in this huge city...Cool!
My uncle informed me that 40% of India eats organic naturally, due to being in rural region where pesticides are expensive and GMO seeds aren't readily available. But one of the problems is the encroachment of big companies like Monsanto coming to India under different names, and employing the same tactics they do to destroy farmers lives in North America (i.e. by assuming some of the expense at first, creating debts cycles and exercising laws that prevent seed-saving). Thankfully there is a movement to help stop this, lead by the one and only Dr. Vanadan Shiva. I highly recommend you check her activism out....she's the real deal.
I hope to make understanding the food system in India part of this journey...as feeding 1 Billion people daily seems to have a lot of success around here... despite the myths. India is abundant, fertile and food is plenty. And... so is the garlic.
The roads in most of the areas of Calcutta are lined with hawkers, who are vendors who have set up huts and stalls adjacent to legitimate shops. Shops pay rent, hawkers don't. Many of these vendors are street food makers, usually specializing in 1 or 2 dishes that people flock to them for. Garlic, Onions and 6 or so spices tend to dominate the ingredient make-up of many of these dishes...like dosas, curries, uttapams (indian breakfast pancakes). So what's the end result? A city that comes alive by the smell of food in the air, and mouths hungry to consume it. Business, education and a hard days work usually begins with a good meal -- and if home-cooking doesn't satisfy then the streets meet all the cravings.
After a stroll on the streets, my dad and I ate with my uncle who own 14 Dosa/Pizza chains in Calcutta under the name "Garden Cafe". No seats, just chest level tables and delicious food. Incidentally, he was the first to introduce pizza to Calcutta -- even cooler is that my Dad showed him the recipe and how to make them 25 years ago. So I learned today that my pops may have been partly responsible for the uprise in pizza culture in this huge city...Cool!
I hope to make understanding the food system in India part of this journey...as feeding 1 Billion people daily seems to have a lot of success around here... despite the myths. India is abundant, fertile and food is plenty. And... so is the garlic.
