Photos: Kolkata

farionthego — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 05:38:00 GMT

The unadulterated beauty of Kolkata!

Understanding a Culture through Food - By the side of river Ganges

farionthego — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 05:18:18 GMT

‘Here lays the beauty of Kolkata,’ said uncle Ashok. He's an Indian, but to me he means family.

‘Babu, Kolkata means street food, and here we are!’ his enthusiastic voice trailed.

I was dazzled seeing everything: an entire side of the sacred river Ganges filled with food carts, purveyors and food-lovers! I gawped at astonishment while uncle went on introducing me with all the local cuisine.

A huge tar-black flat ‘tava’ with all garden fresh vegetables was sitting on top of a clay burner. A guy was standing next to it, smashing all the vegetables with a stamp-like cooking utensil. Toasting by the side of these vegetables were locally made breads covered in butter. It was the making of a famous South Indian snack ‘Pav-Bhaji’, a food well cherished all over India and around the globe.

I stared with much curiosity at the freshly cooked food being served by the side of the streets. ‘No unhygienic business here, madam,’ said a vendor.

Moments later, I was standing, facing the Ganges under the orange sky. Held in my hand was a plate of ‘Pav-bhaji,’ uncle’s favorite food. ‘Pav stands for bread and Bhaji means vegetable curry,’ said he, ‘although it looks very ordinary, but this simple plate of bread and curry tells a whole lot more than it shows!’

Uncle showed me the proper way to eat and enjoy this special food: tearing a corner of the toasted bread, making it an agent for carrying the vegetable curry I closed my eyes letting the Ganges wind cool me down, and felt an outburst of flavors- something that can only be described as ‘India’- inside my mouth.

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Photos: Kolkata

Understanding a Culture through Food - By the side of river Ganges