When 2 distinct national cuisines came together
To create one of the most popular cuisines- ‘CHINDIAN’
Chinese and Indian cuisines are as different as can be, be it in terms of spices and staple ingredients or the style of cooking, yet who would have thought that two could marry and create such a special offspring. Ofcourse, the offspring (like most offspring) doesn’t look like either of the parents and yet have the best of both, creating its own unique identity.
‘Chindian’ or more commonly known as Indian Chinese food is perhaps, India’s most favourite food. For the vast majority of Indian middle-class, urban dwellers, eating out is often synonymous with going for Chinese food. Whether at a street-side stall or a restaurant or the more high-end dining, Indian Chinese food continues to be the comfort food for Indians across class and age groups, satiating our ‘ever hungry for tangy and spicy food’ palate!
So, what is it that Indians love about Indian Chinese cuisine and crave it no matter in whichever part of the world they are? Trust me, every Indian expat can vouch about that ‘craving’ bit!
I believe, the credit goes to the Chinese immigrants who migrated to India and assimilated the Indian sensibilities and taste and fused it so well to create this wonderful cuisine that is distinct yet so familiar to an Indian palate. It tickles our taste buds just the way we like it, ticking every possible word from an Indian’s repertoire of adjectives to describe a comfort food.
Whether it’s ‘Chilli Paneer’ (Indian cottage cheese), ‘Chinese Bhel’, ‘Hakka Noodles’, or ‘Manchurian’ dry or with gravy, technically speaking, these are all Indian creations, yet they are synonymous with Chinese food in India and that’s because of the glorious Indo-Sino fusion of spicy, tangy and admittedly greasy food that tastes like our own.
And so despite all the border disputes and age old political and economic arguments between the two countries, the food remains our close and common bond. The question that we must ask then is, why cant countries get past their differences, when their cuisines can fuse together so beautifully.
