The Food Stories

In India, the first time a child eats solid food is an occasion to celebrate. I now know why; it is because each one of has at least one good 'food story', and who doesn't love good stories? So the earlier a child starts to eat, the faster the stories get made! And let me tell you, food stories always make for great conversations. You listen, you laugh and you eat, because dining table is where these stories are told - over food!

Here are some of them that I have heard over the years, some of them repeatedly! I must confess I have told mine again and again too, though I sincerely hope for the sake of my audience that it was a different set of people each time!

So here goes!

Once upon a time - 

• I poured a mouthful of groundnut oil into my mouth from a carton, believing it to be fruit juice. The two cartons were the same size and right next to each other on the counter. Yikes! I still feel the need to rinse my mouth every time I think about this!

• My sister invited 13 friends for her birthday, my mother cooked for 14 young girls and two turned up. The leftovers were enough to feed the family for the next week!
• We all went out to celebrate the 25th wedding anniversary of my parents (mom, dad, and the three of us) at a restaurant, our first dining out experience as part of a celebration. When we came back home, we realized the manager forgot to charge us for rotis! (Roti - type of Indian bread)
• My daughter was exactly a year old when she tasted chicken, and fifteen years down the line, her love affair with chicken continues.

• My husband ate Aloo paranthas (Indian flat bread with stuffed with potatoes) and Mutter Paneer (Indian green peas and cottage cheese curry) 20 days in a month for almost a year (every working day) at an eatery near his office. The owner and the staff suggested at first and then pleaded with him to try other things on menu. He of course refused!

I have hundreds of these stories. I guess I will be sharing these from time to time on this blog. Next time you have a family get-together try and see how many of the stories that are shared and laughed at are related to food! You'll be surprised!

I look forward to hearing from you about your food stories!