Mindy Kaling, Padma Lakshmi and several social media users lashed out at American columnist Gene Weingarten’s article for the Washington Post in which he falsely stated that Indian food is “the only ethnic cuisine in the world insanely based on one spice.
Image for Representation..Pixabay/ Aarohi Rane
After backlash from celebrities and social media users, American daily The Washington Post modified an article claiming that Indian cuisine was "the only ethnic cuisine in the world insanely based entirely on one spice". Actor- producer Mindy Kaling and television host Padma Lakshmi were among those who slammed the article that falsely stated that Indian cuisine only has one spice. The article was by American columnist Gene Weingarten, and was on his dislike for certain foods. His statement garnered criticism from Indians as well as non-Indian social media users, who slammed the columnist for misinforming readers. Pointing out how the comment in the article is racist, model and TV host Padma Lakshmi wrote: “My issue is not this person’s performative contrarianism (although it is tedious) or that he didn’t enjoy the Indian cuisines he’s tasted. My problem is in this attempt at a comedic piece he’s actually just regurgitating old colonizer tropes, gleefully reducing the culture and country of 1.3 billion people to a (frankly) weak punchline- and that the @washingtonpost published it,” she wrote. Actor Mindy Kaling noted that if one does not like a certain cuisine, they could choose not to comment. “You don’t like a cuisine? Fine. But it’s so weird to feel defiantly proud of not liking a cuisine. You can quietly not like something too,” Mindy tweeted. Reacting to the article that was published on August 19, Meena Harris, lawyer and niece of US Vice President Kamala Harris, tweeted, "Apropos of absolutely nothing name your ONE favorite Indian spice. I’ll go first: asafoetida. In response, several social media users including Mindy Kaling stated the Indian spices they enjoy. Meena Harris, who went through the tweets below her post, laughingly added that she will be ordering from a popular south Indian restaurant. “These replies bring me so much joy! Yes I will be ordering Saravana Bhavan tonight!(sic),” her tweet read. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Padma Lakshmi (@padmalakshmi) You don’t like a cuisine? Fine. But it’s so weird to feel defiantly proud of not liking a cuisine. You can quietly not like something too — Mindy Kaling (@mindykaling) August 23, 2021 Even Columbus knew it was more than one spice — Meena Harris (@meena) August 24, 2021 Apropos of absolutely nothing name your ONE favorite Indian spice. I’ll go first: asafoetida. — Meena Harris (@meena) August 23, 2021 These replies bring me so much joy! Yes I will be ordering Saravana Bhavan tonight! — Meena Harris (@meena) August 24, 2021 Several users also shared images of the container that is widely used in Indian households to store spices. Known by various names across the country, images of the ‘Anjarai Petti’ or ‘Masala dabba’ were posted online in response to the comment. A section of Twitter users countered the ‘one spice’ argument by sharing details and facts about the cuisine. One of the users tweeted that curry is a blend of spices and it is not possible to make it with a single spice, while another user noted how the trade of spices such as cloves, cinnamon, black pepper etc, between India and Europe played a major role in European history and its economy in the past. Here are some reactions from Twitter users: Its mind boggling that some who gets paid to write about food does not know that curry is a blend of spices that vary from recipe to recipe and not an actual spice. Thats like saying my least favorite animal is Sausage. — Zelda Zanders (@zanders_zelda) August 23, 2021 a really obnoxious take, given that the MULTIPLICITY of spices and the trade it spawned is a major factor in European history, economies, trade & politics. Nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon black pepper etc were staggeringly expensive. #selectiveamnesia — bffjossy @ sleepytime tea (@bffjossy) August 24, 2021 Bro if you're gonna say all Indian food is one spice, cool, but then the least you can do is tell us which spice it is — Shiv Ramdas (@nameshiv) August 23, 2021 Trying to find that one spice that Indian food is based on pic.twitter.com/3dKEevNPTE — Ani (@earthlingual) August 23, 2021 Well anyways, here's a thread of Indian food made by me or my friends with more than one spice Starting with Beef Biriyani. At least 20+ spices in this one pic.twitter.com/QnC8Bhk8QV — வெண்பா / Venba Game (@venbaGame) August 24, 2021 and reducing the many, many, many different food traditions and regional cuisines of the Indian subcontinent to "curry" that's like saying "if you like sausage, congratulations, you like European food. if you do not like sausage, you do not like European food." — (@jessiemae) August 24, 2021 Padma shared a screenshot from the article that read, "Indian food. The Indian subcontinent has vastly enriched the world, giving us chess, buttons, the mathematical concept of zero, shampoo, modern-day nonviolent political resistance, Chutes and Ladders, the Fibonacci sequence, rock candy, cataract surgery, cashmere, USB ports ... and the only ethnic cuisine in the world insanely based entirely on one spice. If you like Indian curries, yay, you like Indian food! If you think Indian curries taste like something that could knock a vulture off a meat wagon, you do not like Indian food." After backlash, the modified version of the article now reads, "...rock candy, cataract surgery, cashmere, USB ports ... and curry. If you like Indian curries, yay, you like one of India’s most popular class of dishes! If you think Indian curries taste like something that could knock a vulture off a meat wagon, you do not like a lot of Indian food." The Washington Post has also added a note to readers stating that the article had incorrectly stated that Indian cuisine is based on one spice. The note also added, “In fact, India’s vastly diverse cuisines use many spice blends and include many other types of dishes. The article has been corrected.” In response to the criticism, Columnist Gene Weingarten tweeted on August 23 that he does not take anything back. “Took a lot of blowback for my dislike of Indian food in today's column so tonight I went to Rasika, DC's best Indian restaurant. Food was beautifully prepared yet still swimming with the herbs & spices I most despise. I take nothing back,” he tweeted. However, in his latest tweet, he apologised citing that he should have named a single Indian dish rather than naming the whole cuisine. Took a lot of blowback for my dislike of Indian food in today's column so tonight I went to Rasika, DC's best Indian restaurant. Food was beautifully prepared yet still swimming with the herbs & spices I most despise. I take nothing back. https://t.co/ZSR5SPcwMF — Gene Weingarten (@geneweingarten) August 23, 2021 From start to finish plus the illo, the column was about what a whining infantile ignorant d---head I am. I should have named a single Indian dish, not the whole cuisine, & I do see how that broad-brush was insulting. Apologies.(Also, yes, curries are spice blends, not spices.) — Gene Weingarten (@geneweingarten) August 23, 2021 But if you really want to explore Indian food, here's a Twitter thread you mustn't miss: Hey friends, how about you save some of those clicks for writing on Indian food that is actually, you know, good. A list: — Nikhita Venugopal (@nkvenugopal) August 23, 2021 READ: A story of time and convenience: How Indians have embraced packaged spice blends
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