January 2007

I am in India these days on holiday. Have returned after 10 years and there are many changes for me to experience and of course a lot of food for me to consume. The traditional food remains the same. I thank God for that. Some new fangled European restaurants have sprung up. More on those later. Right now I want to talk about chaat. This is India's quintessential street food. Say the word Chaat to anyone in India and they begin to salivate and look around to see what awaits them on the street corner. There are many kinds of chaat. Much like all Indian food it varies by region. I was in Bombay a few weeks ago and Bhel Puri and Pav Bhaji is the thing to have. I am in Delhi now and Gol Gappas and Papri and Tikkis are what I am about to have for lunch. I can't wait.