Lex
A manifestation of this strange behaviour can be found in the UK.
Indian restaurants satisfy the late-night diner (after the pubs have
closed) with artificially hot food made from the same basic stock and
dignified with different names to satisfy the slightly tired and
emotional diner. It's to make them feel that they are eating the
exotic.
In fact, Indian food is not generally very hot, but the spices and
herbs are prepared and combined to generate a certain taste. I ate
Indian cuisine from a very early age since I was born in Bombay and
lived in Madras, Calcutta and Delhi. My wife now cooks a fine set of
dishes, and I am not too bad myself... but nothing we cook is
particularly hot.
Chris
While hot mustard is a staple of Chinese food, my favorite Szechuan
restaurant while I was in college had a ritual that was unsurpassed.
When you asked for the hottest sauce the waiter would feign
surprise, then bring out a small silver bowl of the potion. He'd
dip a tiny spoon - perhaps 1/16th teaspoon in size - and merely wave
it over your dish. Then look at you to confirm whether this was
satisfactory. The brave and foolish would indicate he should repeat
the gesture, and with another, more exaggerated look of shock, the
waiter would again wave the spoon over the dish.
Dunno whether this actually did transfer heat to the dish or whether
it was a form of hypnosis, but it certainly was effective.
--
~~~~~ ><>
Chris Barker
mailto:chris@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
mailto:chris_barker@xxxxxxxxx
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