First thing that sprang into my mind when my friend told me that she had received a scholarship from a university in Spain was Spanish omelet. Not that I know nothing more about Spain but it was more because in the time when food has become more than a mere surviving tool we easily relate ourselves to a particular country with the food we eat. Isn’t it true that when we think of Italy besides Godfather what come to our mind are pizza and pasta? And isn’t it that Chinese and Koreans almost always remind us of chopsticks and noodles?
I, myself, have grown up in a country where daal-bhaat-tarkari constitutes the major meals of the day. In Nepal, a country I belong, entire family sit together round a table and mostly on ground and share their dinner and lunch. Eating together is an old tradition and enhances love and intimacy among the family members. In Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, Newari community is in majority and living here it’s difficult to keep away from Newari delicacies. I specially enjoy Chhoyla a Spicy roasted or boiled meat, Chatanmari a local dish similar to pizza with non-veg toppings, and aila- colorless homemade liquor. Food here is very important part of culture and people have a particular menu designed for particular occasion. Newari food and drink are certainly the gateways to Newari culture.
Food is also a delicious way to understand a country’s culture and the lifestyle of its citizens. Culture of a country is defined by several factors like clothes they wear, houses they leave in, religions they follow and festivals they observe and food they eat. Among all these food is definitely the most interesting and easy way to access an understanding of a culture of a country. What they eat, do they like it hot or sweet, do they use knife and fork or chopsticks or simply their hands? Answers to these questions can tell us a lot about a country and its people.
