India: Flavor of the Month

If you've been bit by the travel and foody bug as I have, you must have noticed that each country proffers a myriad of new and different flavors when it comes to satisfying your sense of taste. It can be overwhelming when presented with abounding choices you've most likely never heard of. International food companies and local restaurants cater to each country according to the types of foods available, religious beliefs, and regional tastes. For example, Dole makes pineapple soft serve ice cream only in Hawaii, whereas McDonald's in Malaysia sells durian milkshakes. Sugar cane and jack fruit juices are ubiquitous in Singapore, while Japan offers green tea as a flavor for everything imaginable from desserts to bread to noodles.

India is no exception. When it comes to restaurants we are all familiar with: McDonald's and Subway only sell veggie or chicken burgers and subs, as cows are considered sacred to Hindus. Pizza Hut offers a creative assortment of vegetarian pizzas (8 combinations!) with copious amounts of capsicum and green chillies. As for snacks, Lay's potato chips come in chili pepper, coriander, or masala crunch. Ramen noodles are not oriental beef but vegetarian masala. Popular sodas sold alongside Coke and 7up include Mazza (mango soda) and Thumbs Up (a less sweet cola than Coke). Restaurants almost always sell lime soda which you can easily make at home*. Recommended once a day, fresh lime soda is very refreshing and good for you, too, as it cleans out your intestines. Tropicana juices include lychee, mango, and guava along with your typical orange, apple, and grape. Apart from chocolate and strawberry milk, there is also pistachio milk, saffron milk, mango milk, and masala milk - all of which are so sweet and yummy. Last but not least, popular ice cream flavors are mango, custard apple, kesar (saffron - my favorite), kesar pista (saffron with pistachio), cashew nut, almond, and coffee orange (my second favorite). Forget 31 flavors at Baskin-Robbins: I've tried them all and Indian ice cream is undeniably the one thing I'm going to miss most!

Pictures: 1) Dinner with Justin's family. 2) Saffron ice cream. 3) McDonald's menu.

*Lime soda recipe: Squeeze a whole lime into a glass, then add sugar or salt or both to taste and mix with water or club soda.