In the summer of 2013 I took a life changing and educational trip to Northern India. I remember driving through towns and seeing these little shacks on the side of the road with big bold signs that read “CHAAT”. The air surrounding these shacks was wonderfully tangy and sweet. People, mainly men, crowded around the stands. They talked among themselves or read a newspaper as they chowed down on some exotic looking dish. I wanted so badly to join in, to be able to taste these mysterious dishes. But the first rule of traveling to India is to never eat the street food. It would not be until I steeped foot into Taj Mahal Imports that I would finally be given the chance to try this elusive chaat.

Nestled in a generic looking strip mall, Taj Mahal Imports stands tall among the other buildings. The moment the doors are flung open by a curious costumer, the scent of curry, grains, and incense wraps around this individual. I found this a comforting smell, one that for just a moment brought me back to my travels in India. The store may seem overwhelming and disorganized but that is the beauty of it, everything is laid out for the taking and not for the display. I roamed the aisles mesmerized by the curious foods and on a search for my beloved Masala Munch (the equivalent of Indian Cheetos). My adventures brought me to an aisle labeled “British Imports” at first I found this strange why would a grocery store want to 1) remind its people of colonization and 2) devote a whole aisle to such products. Then I remembered seeing these same products while in India and how these foods, although British, have become a staple of Indian cuisine. It only makes sense that Indians in diaspora would want these products as well because they remind them of home. In my endeavors I came across Pounds of rice, pizza samosas, and cornflake trail mix before coming to a stop in front of a bag of Masala Munch. With my beloved snack in my hand, I finally was ready venture to the back of the store to the Chaat Corner. Located in the far corner of the store, the chat corner had a simple menu of 12 items and two friendly women working. A few benches surrounded the counter, offering a place for costumers to sit and enjoy the food. I looked over the menu for a few minutes and finally settled on a samosa chaat. Not really sure what the “chaat” element meant, I was ready for anything. A few minute later a bowl was placed in front of me and I dove in.  It was tangy, sweet and creamy. My long wait to try chaat was worth it! I devoured the samosa and continued to roam the store some more. Eventually I purchased my Masala munch along with a few other snacks and made my way back to campus