Storyteller, Quizzer, Marcom Pro.
Storyteller, Quizzer, Marcom Pro.
Rava Idli, a popular item in Karnataka cuisine, was born out of hardship and inventive spirit during World War II. In the early 1940s, the war triggered a major rice shortage across South India. Japan’s invasion of Burma, then the…
The sweet lime (Citrus limetta) traveled across continents before becoming the familiar mosambi of India. Its origins trace back to Mozambique, where Portuguese traders first encountered the fruit and brought it to India’s west coast. There it became mosambi, a local…
The Kovil idli served at the Varadaraja Perumal Temple in Kanchipuram is steeped in ritual, flavor, and history. Unlike the soft, fluffy idlis found across South India, this temple version—also known as Kanchipuram idli—is larger, firmer, and richly spiced. It…
Pulasa, often referred to as hilsa, is a prized seasonal fish found in the Godavari River near Rajahmundry during the monsoon. In Telugu, it is called pulasa, while in Bengali it is known as ilish, and in Odia as ilishii.…
Tea and chai are two names for the same drink, depending on where you are. The difference comes from the way tea spread from China to the rest of the world. Tea originated in China, where the Mandarin word for…
Did you know the expression “worth one’s salt” means to be competent, good enough to justify one’s earnings or position? The phrase originates from ancient times when salt was a highly prized commodity due to its flavor-enhancing properties and its…
The Annapurna Devi Mandir, located near the sacred Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi, is dedicated to Goddess Annapurna, the giver of food and nourishment. The name Annapurna comes from two Sanskrit words: anna (food or grain) and purna (complete or…
Working the late evenings, I often grab a bite at the nearby Rameshwaram Café in Madhapur, Hyderabad. It was convenient and open late, and the food was decent enough to keep me going through. But after a couple of weeks,…
Hershey’s Kisses, the iconic bite-sized chocolates with a conical shape, are beloved around the world. The origin of their name is as delightful as the chocolates themselves. Introduced in 1907 by the Hershey Company, these delicious treats quickly gained recognition…