“Food is our common ground — a universal experience.” These words find resonance with most of us, especially when one, joyfully, discovers a common thread of similarities, even in diversity.
Hola India – where east meets west via a uniquely amalgamated ‘spice route’
Take Mexican cuisine that revolves around three main components: corn, chillies and beans. Ambassador of Mexico to India, HE Melba Pria, elaborates, “Tortillas, which are a type of soft, thin flat breads made from finely ground wheat flour, are identical to the Indian chapati . Other commonalities are the use of pulses, especially beans or rajma , and the rich Mexican mole and adobo which are heavy sauces made with chillies and spices, similar to the Indian curry in depth and complexity, although different in taste.”
Though there are many theories on how the chilli peppers, which originated in Mexico, made their way into Asia, one of them states the help of Portuguese navigators, during the 16th Century, as an important one.
It doesn’t end there. Salsa, a mix of chopped tomatoes, chillies, onions and coriander, finds its cousin in the Indian chutney . In fact, traditional salsa is made in a stone tool called molcajete, parallel to the Indian stone mortar and pestle or sil batta . That’s not all, the Mexican dessert arroz con leche has an uncanny resemblance with the Indian kheer .
Sonal Madan, a travel enthusiastwho has travelled almost across the world, finds Mexican cuisine to be one of her favourites: “It is an interesting combination of so many different ingredients, with varieties for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians, that one never ceases to be amazed. I love tacos the most. They are my all-time favourite. Besides this, botanas or Mexican snacks are a must-try. These can include peanuts, corn and other derivatives, spiced with chilli.” Her choices find resonance with Indians on a large scale, who find Mexican food to be similar to Indian, but with interesting ‘twists and turns’.
The Baekban Thali – the Korean way to the Indian heart!
Travelling to Korea and unsure if any of the food will be familiar? Jinbeom Kim, who manages his family-owned Korean restaurant Gung the Palace in Delhi NCR, says, “You see, I started off with the aim of serving Korean guests, but now almost 50% of my guests are Indians. The essence of Korean cuisine is texture and spice, which is also the case with Indian cuisine. The uttapam and jeon find in each other a mirror image in terms of the generic look of the dishes. Another example is a striking similarity between the thali and the baekban. Both comprise a number of different sub-dishes, served on a platter. “Though the compositions are different, the concepts are very similar. There are a number of differences between both cuisines, from the style of cooking to even the hour at which meals are eatentaken. However, spicy flavours are what make both cuisines attractive, especially to the people of either country,” says Kim.
So, what does he feel are the top hits with Koreans as far as Indian dishes are concerned? “ Curries , naans , tandoori chicken and the list goes on,” he adds with a smile.
In fact, the most popular dish at the restaurant seems to be bibimbap, which is actually rice topped with different vegetables and ingredients. Interesting is the fact that this dish can make for a great fusion recipe as the ingredients can be mixed and matched in a wide variety of ways suitable to different palates.
More of Morocco
“The ingredients adopted in our cuisines, ie Indian and Moroccan, are strikingly similar, for example, ginger, garlic, chilli, cumin, paprika, coriander dhaniya and the list goes on. Just to give yet another example: Biryani is a common dish in both countries, but the difference in proportion of the ingredients and the timing of mixing these, at the elementary level of preparing the dish, is what makes the difference. I, personally, love all the tikkas and biryanis . Even when the spices are challenging on the palate, it is difficult to stop,” says H.E. Mohamed Maliki, ambassador of Morocco to India, with a smile.
Chef Wassalem Ahmed, former executive chef of the Moroccan ambassador, who supervised the recently concluded Moroccan food festival in Delhi’s Hotel Taj Palace, couldn’t agree more. He says, “You see, some of our dishes look similar, but they are actually prepared differently; for instance, like chebakia and jalebi . Then there are dishes such as the pastilla, where the basic ingredient could be something like chicken, but instead of the same being spiced, it is sugar-coated. These kind of similarities leave a lot of room for fusion cuisines, where mix-and-match can yield some very interesting results.”
Guests who brunched at the hotel, where Moroccan delights were served, had praise to offer for the innovation and creativity applied to the culinary delights. What was also reassuring was the variety available for vegetarians: Harira Soup, Couscous, the Vegetable Tagine, Seffa and a variety of salads and desserts different types of salads and deserts.
“A favourite Moroccan dish is Mechoui lamb roasted, but the Tagines are a hit too. I think the most important thing with such exchanges is that one gets to know so much about the other each other’s country and culture,” says chef DN Sharma, chef de cuisine at Hotel Taj Palace, who worked closely with his team, along with chef Ahmed.
As Friedrich Durrenmatt, author and dramatist, once said, “The art of the cuisine, when fully mastered, is the one human capacity of which only good things can be said.” How true, indeed!
Did you know?
Mexican cuisine is an amalgamation of thousands of dishes, making it a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. In Korean food, ‘balance’ is the key. Nutrition is balanced in terms of colours, textures and flavours, representing the elements. Moroccan cuisine is one of the top five best cuisines in the world.
