Indian food is fiercely loved outside of India, as it is by Indians themselves. A food-listing/recommendation guide, TasteAtlas, released two lists that had the top and worst Indian food. The top ones included favorites like Butter Garlic Naan, Shahi Paneer, with Mango Lassi topping the list. Indians, instead of celebrating this list, are creating a stir online because of the dishes in the worst rated list. It ranks Jaljeera as the no.1 worst Indian dish, and staple dessert Gajak as the second-worst. Indians have good reason to cause an uproar for such inclusions.
TasteAtlas functions like a world tour, centered around the cuisines of various countries. It has an exhaustive portfolio of 10000 recipes, all from different parts of the world. The work TasteAtlas is doing is great, but there seems to be a lack in its credibility after rating Malpua as the 9th worst Indian dish. Every item on this list is actually very popular within India. It also disregards the functionality of the dishes listed here, and their history.
TasteAtlas’ worst Indian foods are a staple across majority of Indian homes
For example, Panta Bhat, a staple lunch for the commoners of West Bengal, Assam, and Odisha, takes the 4th spot in the list. The dish is actually a fantastic summer cooler, and is ready within minutes. Panta Bhat is usually eaten with something fried or with boiled mixtures, like Aloo Bhorta. In the past, everyday workers needed to whip up something quickly before departing for work. Additionally, the food had to be filling enough so they could work more efficiently for longer hours. Hence, the Panta Bhat, became a go-to meal for laborers and farmers. The dish was also seen in the finale of Masterchef Season 13.
Jaljeera and thandai, two very famous Indian drinks for the summer, are consumed regularly in the north belt of the country. The two drinks are simple and refreshing, and have more flair than the modest mango lassi. A Gujrati chaach can do better than a mango lassi anyday.
It ranks Mirchi ka Salan, an essential side dish for Hyderabadi Biryani, on the 8th position in the worst list. It’s ironic how Hyderabadi Biryani is on 6th position in the best Indian foods list. The platform seems to not have taken into account the fact that Hyderabadi Biryani is incomplete without Mirchi ka Salan. TasteAtlas truly needs to reassess their criteria for ranking the dishes on the worst-foods list.
This list could not have been made by an Indian
A majority of Westerners have a generalized idea of Indian food. To them, Indian cuisine boils down to Butter Naan paired with Butter Chicken or Chicken Tikka Masala. Also, Indian food is considered to be comparatively spicier than most Western cuisines. The idea that Indian food can be steamed, fresh and simple seems to jar the West out of the image they have created for Indian cuisine. Indian cuisine is as diverse as the country’s culture and philosophy. The Western palate and its mission of homogenizing everything to Western tastes is killing Indian cuisine’s authenticity.
Indians online have opened the floodgates of their criticism for TasteAtlas’ ranking of the worst foods list. One user commented, “Guys, you need to actually ask Indians to rate the dishes.” Another pulled the platform’s leg by saying, “Did anyone who tasted all this survive?” There is absolutely zero reception about its best-rated Indian food list, and TasteAtlas is yet to make a comment about such skewed rankings. The Indian staples that are given no second thought by its citizens are being cast in a negative light by a foreign, reputed platform. Maybe TasteAtlas needs to up their diversity among people making such lists first, before even beginning to assess a cuisine as immensely diverse as India’s.
