In late September, our class took a trip to Taj Mahal Imports – Dallas’s best Indian Food Market. After a short 20 minute drive to Richardson with my friend Paul, we were there and ready to explore. Right when we walked in, we could immediately smell the haunting aroma of all the Indian food cooking. Curry filled the air as we walked around the store, looking at different foods and items from a culture much older than ours. Looking at these foods, you can really get a sense of what sort of things Indian people use to make their food. The walls and aisles were filled with beautiful works of art- from statues to drums to paintings. I spent time looking through the hygienic aisle, and found that people in India enjoy tea flavored toothpaste. This was something that really caught my attention because I would literally never buy that. As we moved along, I noticed that I couldn’t recognize any brand names. It honestly felt like I was in a market in India. Everything smelled very specific and the store had a slightly dilapidated and “worn-in” look to it.

After investigating all of these new foods, I decided it was time to try some. Near the back of the store was a small kitchen where they cooked and sold small plates of Indian food. Looking at all the items was very difficult, as I had never tried any Indian foods before and all of the words made no sense to me. I turned to someone near me and asked what they were getting; I decided I’d get the same. Whatever I ordered, it was delicious. After I was done eating, I took another lap around the store to look around. After our class picture, we were ready to leave.

After going to this market and seeing a whole new side of an unfamiliar culture, I have a newfound appreciation and respect for the culture and the food. I loved my chaat and would definitely order it again if I knew what it was called.