Have you ever relished golgappe at a restaurant or mall? I am sure, you never liked the taste and got the thrill which you get at eating from a street vendor. That rustic charm, though without much hygiene, has its own mystique. Piping hot aloo ki tikiya with sonth and paanak and imli ki chatni (tamarind sauce) at Chandni Chowk, Sarojini Nagar and Shahadara are tastier than having the stuff at a restaurant at upmarket Chanakyapuri or Greater Kailash in New Delhi. There is a proverb in Hindi: Aap ruchi khana, par ruchi pahan-na (Eat to your heart’s content, wear what others approve).
One always loves to eat in a relaxed and unhurried manner. An Urdu proverb articulates it well: Dastar pe jaldbaazi qatai nahin karni chahiye (One should never be in a hurry on a dining table). I still remember the out-of-the-world sarson da saag with makki di roti at an open field at Firozpur, Punjab in 2006. The dollops of ghee added to the aroma, and the same dish at a star hotel will be dull fare. The ingredients, condiments and taste you get at a dhaba or a roadside joint are hard to get at a stylish joint. Moreover, the spoon and fork take away the remaining mojo of the food.
How can people eat meat and fish with a fork? How will you de-bone a fish fillet or a tangdi kabab? According to the legendary English chef Gordon Ramsay, most of the delicacies in the world are meant to be eaten with fingers to relish them to a T. A well-cooked piece of baby-pink salmon tastes best when eaten with fingers. Let the snooty people look at you sardonically. Eat salmon, trout or haddock with fingers. Tell me, can you enjoy one of the finest delicacies in the world Sorshe Ilish (Hilsa in mustard) with a fork and spoon? Impossible.
“It’s like caressing a lovely child's chubby cheeks with gloves on,” said American actor Rita Hayworth when served Hilsa in mustard with a fork and spoon at Kolkata’s Great Eastern Hotel. Food has a direct relation to physical and mental well-being. It should therefore be taken in a manner devoid of any frills. To enjoy food, one shouldn’t be fussy and fastidious.
sumitmaclean@hotmail.com
