Even though India is one of the most populated countries in the world and is becoming increasingly more influential, I feel ashamed and ignorant as I write this blog because I know almost nothing about India and it's people and culture. The extent of my knowledge can probably be summed up in a couple sentences with the help of movie stereotypes.
When I think about the great sub-continent of India, images of exotic food covered in creamy and fragrant sauces of spices that I have never encountered before come to mind.
I only know their most basic, yet staple food: Curry. Much to my friends’ surprise, I have never tried Indian food before. Now that I think about it, I do not know why I have never tried to have a taste. It certainly looks delicious. Especially dipping one of the freshly baked garlic naan bread into the aromatic butter chicken.
However, my Indian friends have told me butter chicken is not exactly an authentic Indian dish. With this, I realized the similarity of the Indian culture to Chinese culture that I find in North America. Fast food restaurants tend to try to reproduce the food of a country such as Italy, Korea, China, India, etc… but how frequently can they capture the true flavours of that country? Often it is made to suit the palate of those in the country that it is being served for. Butter chicken was first introduced in Britain and therefore was catered towards a European taste. Few Indians eat this dish at home on a regular basis just as how I rarely eat ginger beef or kung pao chicken at home.
Through this course, I really hope to expand my knowledge of India’s culture as I know that no two ethnicities are the same. Each has their unique practices and traditions. For example, Henna is commonly seen on the hands and feet of Indian brides.
As well, one of the things on my bucket list, right after trying Julio's bulldog drinks, is to try some Indian cuisine at Remedy Cafe which is conveniently within walking distance of the university!
