I know that it is entirely normal for a country to adopt foreign recipes then adapt them to suit the tastes or dietary restrictions of their own population. That makes sense, even if it can be a little surprising when you first taste authentic food while travelling! This got me thinking about India, and how traditional foreign dishes have been adapted to suit Indian tastes. I would love to hear more about some examples of this.
The time I remember eating foreign food best in India was on my first trip, when, about two weeks after we got there, my friend and I took refuge in a TGI Friday's. We'd both been in India for a week or so separately, she far in the north, and I in Bangalore staying with a friend of mine, so we'd had pretty sheltered arrivals. Then we met in Delhi, ready to start travelling together, and promptly ate something bad and spent two days straight in the hotel room with diarrhoea. We made so many classic rookie errors. We drank water while we were laid up, but not enough. We underestimated how dehydrating the heat is, on top of the diarrhoea. We got up the next day and, without eating, went to get our tickets to Pakistan for the end of our trip from the Pakistan International Airways office, which is in the middle of a bit of Delhi that's got very new, broad, straight, concrete-building lined streets. We underestimated the distance, and decided we'd take a rickshaw for a bit and then walk. We did this in the middle of the day, in the heat. We got there to find that the office was shut for lunch, so we had to wait for forty-five minutes. We sat down and got up far too fast, and so I, promptly, fainted. I'd never done it before, and I'm pretty sure I didn't do it gracefully, like an eighteenth-century heroine. I woke up surrounded by concerned faces, and, mortified, I got up, glad to see that the office was open. In a sort of haze brought on by heat, dehydration, and disorientation, we bought our tickets as quickly as possible, staggered outside, and saw a TGI Friday's. 'FAMILIAR FOOD!' we thought, and rushed over, where I proceeded to buy a beefburger. In a country where the majority of people don't eat beef. Where if you've just arrived, you should stay away from shaped meat, a general travel rule wherever you are, as it's one of the easiest ways to get sick. Needless to say, that evening, on the train to Jaisalmer, I was sicker than I had been in Delhi, and was cursing the whole idea of ever travelling anywhere, ever. Luckily, when we arrived in the desert, we took a camel safari first thing, and three days in the desert, with simple food, clear air, and peace, quickly made me healthy and happy again, fickle that I am. After that, on that and on subsequent trips, I've basically stayed away from western food. I don't even really remember seeing it on the menu much, as I was usually paying attention to the Indian dishes, of which there are so many, and so many that are delicious. I do remember eating pizza once, (it was bland,) and that you can often get an approximation of Chinese stir fried vegetarian noodles on lots of menus, which, while perfectly fine, are also slightly bland. Sometimes, however, this is just what an upset stomach bewildered by new flavours needs.
Wow Elizabetonth that's one heck of a way to suffer - two consecutive bouts of stomach issues would be my worst nightmare. I plan on packing some rehydration crystals which are meant to be useful if you get sick from food. They have the salts and minerals needed to balance your body chemistry or so the packet says, anyhow.
Elizabetonth, I feel for you. Thanks for sharing the story, it's a good reminder of why eating local food is a good idea. I wonder what McDonald's sell there, presuming they have made it to India.
Oooh, that's a good question. I was so intrigued that I googled it. There's a McAloo! And a McSpicy Paneer! And also a Chicken Maharaja Mac. Amazing. There are also chicken mcnuggets still. I wonder what they taste like. Has anyone tried chicken mcnuggets in many countries? That's a blog I'd read.
I had to Google this too!! They sell a veggie version of the Maharaja Mac too, which sounds amazing. The breakfasts look similar to those I would see at home, and I am curious to know if the coffee is as good. I bet someone somewhere is traveling the world and blogging about the McDonald's in each location. [Yup, check out James McGowan, who has been to over 300!]
I think just like most countries these days they're going to want to cater for the tourists more and more, as tourism continues to be big business. A big part of that will be the food that's available, and while I'm sure that thru would prefer tourists to come to India and at least try and sample the traditional Indian cuisine, at the same time they're going to have to cater for those who would prefer the foods from their own country aswell.
The large cities of India are very international, and you will be able to find restaurants to cater to your needs. I saw big chain restaurants, a Mexican family restaurant in Chennai, and a special Sushi Brunch at the Taj Mahal hotel in Chennai, too. India is very cosmopolitan, global, international, whatever you want to call it, and you will find great food from around the world if you want.
