GLOBAL EATING RULES FOR INDIANS

Generally speaking, the finer nuances of fine dining goes right past the Great Indian Traveller. They could be on a wine tour of the Napa Valley, but tasting wine is not our forte. Gulping it down sure is, writes Shivjeet Kullar

 

Every year over a million Indian travellers are let loose in the world. From El Bulli in Spain, to Pierre Gagnaire in France, to Per Se in America, to Gordon Ramsey’s in England down the food chain to Angus Steak Houses, and further down to McDonald’s to Inflight kitchens, right down to Hot Dog Stands the culinary world comes under severe pressure; similar to when Chengiz Khan’s hungry armies would ravage the land back in the olden days.

But this is no casual attack. Indians abroad follow a 10 rule code when they eat out in restaurants or at banquets or parties. These rules have been in place for the past 100 years and handed down in secret from one generation of travellers to another. Here they are:

RULE NO. 1:

Don’t ‘wine’, just gulp down the wine – We understand that you can’t make out what’s the big deal about this strange liquid that neither gets you drunk nor tastes good. But just hold your nose and drink it down, otherwise you won’t get your next course.

RULE NO.2:

All food has evolved from Tandoori chicken – It’s true! Studying ancient civilizations Prof Gastronomer has found that the first real gourmet dish in the world was Tandoori chicken. After that it was downhill!

RULE NO. 3:

Food can finish anytime – With the population increasing by one million people every month and other resources not keeping pace, the food in the world can finish any moment. So load those buffet trays and eat as much as you can right now.

RULE NO. 4:

Knives and forks are for cowards. The ancient Ju Jitso warriors in Japan did not need any weapons, they could make mincemeat of their opponents with their hands and fists. The same applies to the Global Indian Traveller.

RULE NO. 5 :

If you can’t pronounce it, don’t eat it – When you walk into a restaurant where the menu looks like an advanced French lesson beware. Le plat de pomme de terra avec la citrouille is two potatoes with one piece of kaddoo in between.

RULE NO. 6:

The classier the restaurant the smaller the portions – The fanciest restaurants in the world serve you your course along with a magnifying glass, so you can locate the food portion on your plate!

RULE NO. 7:

Stealing glasses and salt cellars from planes help the world’s economy – The more items you can steal from your food tray the lighter the plane gets for its next trip, and this helps conserve valuable aeroplane fuel.

RULE NO 8:

Bring back as much ketchup as possible to India – We’re running short of tomatoes in this country so the more little packets of ketchup you bring back the better.

RULE NO. 9:

Even European kings would dip their napkin in their glass – after all what better way to wipe up after a meal.

RULE NO. 10:

There are no rules – Hey we’re the world’s largest democracy. Everything we do will be legalized sooner or later (like in cricket). So eat up. Bon Apetit.

 

(Source: The Economic Times)

Beaches and beyond

Glistening sands, cool sea breeze, and the warm sun are a part of the pristine beaches that make Goa a favourite among most tourists. As clichéd as it sounds, a visit to India’s hottest tourist destination you are sure to be smitten by the ‘Goa trance’.

This small state sets the pace for a magical and fun trip for everybody especially with some of the prettiest beaches, old Portuguese churches, the annual carnival that takes place in February and several flea markets that give you a chance to re-discover the little pieces of Goa.

PANAJI

Panaji, the capital of Goa, is a tiny city that packs in a large punch. The church on the main square, the Baroque architecture, pretty villas, cobbled streets and interesting buildings give Panaji a distinctly Portuguese ambience.

MARGAO

Margao, the capital of Salcete Taluka and the chief town of South Goa, has a decidedly Portuguese flavour and an old world charm. Vasco da Gama is a port city in the west coast Indian state Goa. Vasco — as Goa’s most populous overgrown town is referred to, and the adjoining Mormugao port is busy, dusty and mainly commercial centres today. Mormugao Port was constructed in 1888, and is today one of the major ports of India. Between one-third of India’s ore exports leave from here.
Old Goa is the former colonial capital of Goa. Full of history, today is home to some scenic churches and convents.

MAPUSA

Mapusa, is the administrative capital of the Bardez Taluka, Mapusa is 13 km south of Panaji. Besides being a busy market town, Mapusa is conveniently close to some of Goa’s most popular beaches.

PONDA

Located in the heart of North Goa, Ponda is geographically surrounded by scenic green villages, filled with grand temples. Ponda is also known for its proximity to Goa’s wildlife, and is the cultural capital for Indian-style music in Goa,

BEACHES

Most of the action happens on Goa’s beaches and this is one of the main reason thousands of tourists come here.

Baga:

Baga Beach is known for water sports — parasailing, jet skiing, body boarding and surfing. The dolphin cruises are another tourist attraction at this beach.

Anjuna:

This beach is the most hip and happening beach and is known for its rave culture and parties especially during the Christmas- New Year season.

Dona Paula:

Dotted with palms and casuarinas, Dona Paula is quite a hotspot, for its beauty and romantic legend that gave the beach its name. The beach offers water sports facilities, especially water scootering.

Colva:

Colva Beach is a highly commercialised beach with resort complexes, large holiday crowds, trinket stalls, discos and restaurants.

Majorda:

Majorda lies 2 km north of Colva, and is a pretty beach dominated by a luxury resort, hotels, restaurants, shops, boutiques and the best European bakeries in Goa.

Calangute:

This is Goa’s most popular beach. Totally commercialised but this sizzling hotspot offers good sunbathing, and some really delicious food.

GET TING THERE

You can either travel by air, rail, road and sea i.e. the catamaran service that is available only from Mumbai. All the national highways link Goa with the rest of the country. Buses are available from every city. From Mumbai, it takes around 12-14 hrs to reach Goa by bus, around 10 hrs by train and around 45 minutes by air.

BEST TIME TO VISIT

October to February is the best time for tourism, though Goa can be visited yearround

 

 

(Source: The Times of India) 

PERIYAR’S WILD SIDE

In God’s own country, the artist splashed a hundred shades of green onto the palette. And, among the precipitous altitudes of the Western Ghats, he created an undulating setting draped in dense deciduous forests. Man intervened and dammed the river within to create a spectacle of wondrous blue at the heart of it all. Today we know it as the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, spanning 777 kms, of which nearly 350 kms of core area is protected as the Periyar National Park and Tiger Reserve.

MAMMOTH FUN

Nestled among the wooded hills and the green foliage, the Periyar Lake within the sanctuary, makes for an excellent gambolling hotspot for wild elephants. There lies the charm of this place, watching entire families of wild elephants blissfully at play, as you gain an entirely new perspective to the ritual of morning ablutions.

LAKE CRUISE

Another remarkable experience is the lazy cruise along the meandering Periyar Lake, watching the forest glide by. If you are fortunate, besides elephants, others too may saunter down to the shores to watch. Try and get onto the upper deck of the boat and better your chances of sightings with an early morning cruise. Instead of boats, you may also opt for indigenous bamboo rafts secured with coir ropes.

JUNGLE PATROL

For those interested in serious adventure, summon your courage and be intrepid enough to join a band of poachers-turnedprotectors for a thrilling trudge through the forest after midnight. The chances of accosting a tiger are minimal but the anticipation of it all is sure to keep the adrenalin barometer at a constant high. You could also choose to keep your feet off the ground by spending a night in the Watch Tower, a machaan-like structure that provides another unique option for a night out.
 If you find such adventures foolhardy, you can settle for a daytime rendezvous with the forest folk with a morning or afternoon four-hour-trek under the auspices of a trained guide. The trek, especially in the summer months, will soon find you a bit hot under the collar, but the jungle folk do play their part in making it memorable.
 

The elusive tigers do not fancy a human acquaintance. Nilgiri Wood Pigeons, Blackwinged Kites, Blue-winged Parakeets, Great Indian Hornbills, White-bellied Tree Pies, Laughing Thrushes, Fly Catchers, Darters, Cormorants, Barbets and Plovers, however, will turn out in their finery and regale you with their acoustic skills. If you do encounter the occasional sambar, gaur, boar, the rare lion tailed macaque or the rampant Nilgiri langurs, rest assured that they display impeccable decorum. You could trudge to the old Mangala Devi Stone Temple within the sanctuary, whose charm has not yielded to the state of dilapidation it is in.

ELEPHANT RIDE

If you want to give those tiring limbs some respite, you can turn to the obliging elephant for a languorous ride, a perch from which you may view the tiger with suitable disdain if you encounter one.

USEFUL INFORMATION    

There are several options to accommodate your bags, your taste buds and the depth of your pockets. Some are located within the core area of the forest while others are on the periphery.
The park is open from 6 am to 6 pm.
You have ample opportunity for wildlife photography. The entry charges to the park are nominal, but you will have to pay extra for your cameras.
Besides a good camera, it is recommended that you carry a torch and an excellent pair of binoculars.

BEST TIME TO VISIT

October to June. It is rather hot during summer but the sightings are excellent at this time.

Getting There

Air: Kochi (200 Kms.), Madurai (140 kms.) Rail: Kottayam (114 kms.) Road: Kumily, 4 kms from Periyar, is well connected by both state and private buses from Kottayam, Ernakulam and Madurai in Tamil Nadu.

 

 

(Source: The Times of India)