Blog Post 2

For our second field trip, my peers and I went to the highly acclaimed Taj Chaat House in Plano. The Chaat House was located inside of the Taj Grocery store, allowing people not only to enjoy delicious food, but to browse and peruse aisles of authentic Indian groceries. Being an Indian American from a traditional family, my exposure to chaat and Indian food is high, however getting the opportunity to see my classmates who have never seen, heard, or even tasted chaat before was something special.

In Hindi chaat means to lick, so it’s only fitting for it to correspond with food. As seen in our class reading From Curry Mahals to Chaat Cafes, chaat “originated as a roadside snack food in Northern India”, just like roadside food you would get in New York or Barcelona. Chaat is similar in India to a beer in the US. Instead of a group of guys grabbing beer after work, in India men will grab rounds of chaat before heading home. It is a social act that has maintained its prominence in India for generations. Slowly over the last couple of decades chaat has made its mark globally in the category of finger foods and snacks. The beauty of chaat is that there is a plethora of options and choices, which allows everyone to have control on what they eat. Growing up I had the luxury to try many different plates, from sweet and spicy, to tangy and smooth. The thing that was fascinating to me was seeing how my classmates reacted to their plates. Chaat is an unique type of snack, unlike Indian food which people are widely used to by now, chaat has an acquired taste.

Walking into the Taj Grocers, I only could think about my mom buying those huge bags of rice. When we passed the aisles we finally entered the Chaat House bringing back so many memories of when I was a child. As the strong smell of pani puri water filled the room all I could see were people running to tables to save seats for their family. Everything was just so nostalgic that I was elated to have another one of these experiences. As my classmates read the huge menu, I offered to clarify and advise some options for them. Getting to inform others was a big treat for me as it broke the barriers of cultural differences. I was one of the last people to order, as I wanted my classmates to enjoy themselves and the food. Personally, whenever I go for chaat there is only one dish that satisfies my craving, dahi puri. What can be better than a hollowed out wafer ball, filled with potatoes, topped with cilantro, sev and yogurt. While eating I looked around the table only to see everyone thoroughly enjoying themselves. I was pleased to see that the night was a true success for all of us, and I only hope for amazing experiences like this in the future.