Experiencing the Chaat
Going to the Taj Grocers / Chaat House was an experience I most definitely will not forget. From the environment to the food it was an experience like no other I have had. Aside from the 45-minute commute we had from campus, in the end, it was worth every bit of confusion we ran into. The Chaat house which was inside of the Taj Grocers had a menu like I had never seen before. With their religion, there is no meat served what so ever. That’s different to me being someone that really enjoys my steak, chicken, and beef. Being said, not a single plate, pan or utensil has ever even TOUCHED meat. This only added to the experience and really helped get a visual aspect of all we have been learning about.
To start off me and my classmates took a few laps around the grocery store, just to see the difference between a traditional American grocer compared to an Indian style grocery store. To say the least, there was a very big difference. The first thing I noticed when walking in the front door was the mounds and mounds of rice. It seemed as if there was enough rice to last us all a lifetime. We explored the different types of spices, vegetables, fruits and my favorite the sweets. There were so many different types of treats that I had never seen before. It took every bit of me to save my appetite for the meal we were about to have.
When we stepped into the Chaat House the first thing I noticed was the amount of people. This place seemed to be very popular and was filled with Indian families enjoying their traditional food. There were choices on top of choices for what to eat it was nearly impossible to decide. After going down the line and asking about a millions questions about every single option I chose to get the fried Dosa Masala. The Dosa Masala is a crepe or pancake made from fermented batter of rice and black lentils filled with potatoes. When I received my food, the crepe that I had ordered was about the size of me. It was HUGE! The dish was good but the potatoes, to say the least, were subpar. They were not the potatoes I was used to/ was expecting. I will not say it was my favorite but it is something that I am glad I tried. Secondly, I tried the Samosas, I will say the samosas were much better than the Dosa. It was better but different most of all. I was strongly recommended to try the Samosas and I am glad I did. It came with the two sauces that were very good and made the dish great. In From Curry Mahals to Chaat Cafés they say “these are sites of hybridity and cultural contact where multiple worlds, networks, processes, and agents interact with each other.” This works well with his environment because though were are not IN India we are experiencing there culture the best way possible inside of the United States. We get to experience first-hand the culture of the food and get the privilege to try it. Though it is different it is something new and helps keep you in touch with other cultures as a whole.
Though this is probably not the best of the best Indian restaurants, it was certainly an experience I will not forget. From exploring the grocery store to trying all new types of food it really helped put into perspective the food and culture we have been studying about.
