Mar 23, 2011

Digging Food Corners


Reading my nostalgic article, in which I revealed my emotional ties with the past city, where I lived for a few years till bidding farewell to it four months back, Rek the Blogger had given me a curious tip on how to make same bonds with the new city. She suggested that exploring food corners will help in making emotional ties with the new place. Already a semi-foodie, I decided to follow her advises and dig food corners as much as possible.

But due to eating regularly those food items prepared in harmful oils and junk foods with no nutritious values, I lost taste in everything. But still my hunt for places which would give health compliant food continued with no end.


That day, when I reached my settling place after a one and half hour long heavy workout at the gymnasium in the evening, I saw my room-mate X-EN-Tric immersed in some melancholic professional thoughts.  To cheer him up, I suggested him an outing so that on return we could have tasted something delicious from nearby eateries. Thoughtfully, he said,


“What’s the use of going to eateries buddy; everyone serves the same oily, fatty and non-nutritious junk items,”

“Don’t worry, today I will take you to a new place, you just get ready; this is not like any previous hotels, I assure you, you will feel really comfortable there,” I said trying to make my voice maximum dramatic.

Unwilling to believe what I said, he looked at me curiously.

‘’Which place is that?” he asked.

I said, “Ok, if you really want to know, I will tell you some clues. Take the case of Chapati, one of our common food items.” Watching his speculative eyes, I asked, “did you find any difference between our home-made chapattis and the ones that we get from hotels?,” 

“They both look absolutely different. Comparing to the home made ones, what we get from hotels is hell,” without a second thought, he said.

Triumphantly I said, “then today I will take you to a place where we get the real taste of the homemade ones.”

X-EN-Tric’s eyes brightened.

Driving my ‘sincere bike’, we explored the busy evening city. Taking so many twists, curves and turns and by escaping from many collisions miraculously, we finally reached the destination located at a comparatively less crowded place.

I took him to a Natural Food Centre, which I had found during my Sunday jaunts. While sitting on the cane-made chairs, I commented,

“See, even the chairs here are nature made.”

He agreed.

Some quotes written on the walls of the food centre went like this,

“Does your stomach have a grinding stone?”
“Drink your food after chewing it thoroughly”
“Don’t drink water with food”

Though I have some personal disagreements regarding these quotes, I appreciated their attempts silently. Even tourists were also visiting that place for healthy food. 

We both had a steam cake (puttu) each, prepared using the coconut shells, in accompaniment of a local variety of Spinach curry; that means completely natural. We had already ordered a fruits combo each, which was a mixture of water melon, banana, papaya, and some other fruits. The person who served us food, who lacked the common appearance of a supplier, apologized us as if we were his guests at his home, by saying he could not prepare all usual fruits, since that day they could not collect some of them.


In the end, there came a Jappi, and what’s a Jappi? Well! Jappi is a drink prepared using coriander, cumin seed, fenugreek, cardamom and some two more items. However, it tasted superb! They claim that Jappi is the best energizing drink comparing to coffee and tea. Both coffee and tea consist of a kind of sedatives (caffeine, you know?)


Surprisingly, they didn’t charge much. But, when we left that place, my stomach was almost full. So, I said X-EN-Tric, 

“Buddy, tomorrow also I plan to dine from here, but not as much as I consumed today. Because, you know the proverb? Even Nectar is poison, if taken to excess!”

X-EN-Tric laughed heartily.

My special thanks go to Rek the Blogger for giving such a valuable suggestion. Even though she meant it for making emotional ties with the place you dwell in, it helped me in a different way.

But, from this article, did you get something informative?

24 comments:

  1. Man, you explained the event beautifully... Keep going...

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  2. ooooh so do u promise to take me for that lunch if i come over :)

    where is it by the way you did not say
    Bikram's

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  3. In Calicut, I had been to certain natural restaurants and the experience was very satisfactory. where is this one?

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  4. you have penned the whole experience nicely....
    BTW again the same query made by other frnds above, which place you are talking about mannn....???

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  5. My first visit to your blog and a very interesting post, this one!

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  6. @Itsmahesh

    Thanks

    @bikramjit

    certainly I promise, Bikramjit, I will take u there..just come down to Kerala, and visit Cochin, and I'm sure u will like natural food items available there..

    @harish

    The name of this place is Aruvi. Its in Cochin, at Chittur Road..

    @irfan

    Thank you very much..the place is the one in kerala, where I am dwelling now, cochin..

    @Nikita

    Thanks fr the visit..hope u enjoyed..

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  7. Oh! Cochin?! I have beautiful memories of Cochin. One thing I couldn't stand much was the pepper mills and the humid hot day when we visited the Synagogue area.

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  8. nice post, peppered with humour.. See something good came out of my advice, didn't it?....glad you and your friend had healthy, economical tasty food....since I am just a few hours away...maybe someday I'll check out the place when I visit Cochin next...thanks for mentioning me...have a good week. :) The lesson learnt...try, try till you find what u want but don't overdo it ;P

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  9. I should hit the hotel too...

    ~ The Full Moon Girl

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  10. Yes, to know the city visit the eateries - the local ones. You taste the heart and soul of city there. Kochi you said! Aahaa thats a beautiful city

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  11. liked your this place too you are blessed with great writing style,
    wishing you very very best of luck for each dream in life and healthy living take care.

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  12. An interesting post, I get the feeling that you are a man who probably lives by the motto 'You are what you eat'.

    Not a coffee drinker, I quickly tire of herbal teas so would love to try this Jappi, it sounds so exotic and refreshing.

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  13. Your are gifted with a very attractive writing style. 'steamed cake' puttu :)have you coined up that word :)

    keep it up.

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  14. Beautiful and interesting post. Liked it and enjoyed very much.

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  15. @NRi Girl..

    so u visited Cochin..apart from Synagogue which places u visited? actually I am a new one here, the major locations are yet to be seen..


    @rekha

    Just tell me, when u r going to visit here..

    @Poornima

    I also think, you should :)

    @Insignia

    So u have applied this technique already? happpy to know that u have beautiful memories regarding Cochin..

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  16. @baili

    thank you:) thank You :) thank You baili :)

    @pretty Witter

    hmm i would say thats a wrong impression..rather than that, I believe 'you are what you think,' but i believe in maintaining a well balance between body and mind..

    so when u r coming to my place, to taste Jappi?

    @prasanna Raghavan

    No Prasanna, steam cake is the general English word given to Kerala puttu..or at least I learned it like that

    @Babli

    Thank You:)

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  17. I got one information...that right now I am feeling really hungry and drooling for a Jappi...hehe!! and the only Jappi I can get now would be from one of the guys in my office, who would be ever ready to share their Jappi with any female...lol!!!Bad Joke???!!!

    Anyways, I would surely, make it a point to check out this place, if I come there any time soon...

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  18. Wow, I would love to go to Cochin and visit this place. You account really made me drool at the food.

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  19. tomz bhai...thanks for staying connected though I was away for so long. I really appreciate it and feel happy to have such a good blog friend. Take care, keep smiling and best wishes always

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  20. Hi, I liked your post - and yes, it's right: finding places in a new city makes one feel at home (having moved often I have "Tried and Tested" that often) - I know I am 'at home' when the guys at the fitness center greet me by name, when the girls behind the counter in the coffee shop say: "1 cappuccino single?!" before I said anything, etc pp. Good healthy food I find in Berlin in many places - though I prefer cooking at home - it's so creative :-)

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  21. @Jzt4me

    You are welcome to our place, anytime u wish..

    @rachana

    I'm happy to make u visit Cochin one day...

    @Ramesh

    Take ur time..and come back with great anecdotes..

    @britta

    Welcome to my blog..and that was a wonderful comment..so u have found cooking creative..?

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  22. Yes I had Jappi somewhere and I really liked it.

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  23. @Haddock

    and finally thats a testimonial to my claim...

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  24. Gr8 post.... I Love ur writing style.. but when u told this in our dept. that day morning of ur Aruvi experieince.. i felt pitty of u for having this food.. But by reading ur post..i feel like u have had the best food in the whole world... hehee...

    ~ Clairvoyant Girl ;-)

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