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Orginally posted by Rohit69

But when you interact with a 2nd gen Desi, somehow you expect them to be like you till you realize that they are not like a 1st gen Desi on many aspects..which might lead to confusion, dejection, jealousy, anger etc...hope you get my point.

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Orginally posted by morning_rain

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Orginally posted by MadammeX



I am not quite sure what the question was here but it seems like you are wondering how or why the eating habits differ between 1st gen CDs vs. 2nd gen CDs here?

I think that also depends on what's cooked at home. If a lot of desi food is being cooked at home, then you do tend to eat a lot of desi stuff compared to others who are not cooking it often in their homes. This is usually the case when you are younger.

When kids get older and are interacting with more and more people outside, they tend to lean towards what everybody else is eating.

Which brings us back again to the upbringing part... the way they are raised in terms of shoving cultural/traditional values down their throat or simply making them aware of it... the kids then either lean towards eating outside food or they lean towards eating desi food. That's a shady area I think. Because I've seen children who have just stepped out here from India and quickly adapt to eating outside and preferring that. And also a couple kids who have grown up here since early childhood, and they prefer to eat at home. (And also vice-versa). Go figure!

But I have to admit.... that people who have grown up here are more comfortable eating non-desi food than the ones who came here later on. As for me, I have haphazard ways of eating, so I can swing either way at any given time.

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I agree. Thanks for answering. I have heard that you can get anything in India these days: Pizza, pasta, subways, chinese, mexican, greek etc. So are people in India (again maybe just Metros) not eating non indian that often ? Are most more comfortable eating at home (maa ka haaton ka khana)..or is it just a reflection of our instant gratification society in North america that is controlling our eating habits?

kind of a reflective/rhetorical question rather than demanding an answer Though I would love to hear thoughts..Thx

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Orginally posted by hchheda

Hi,

I see this turning out to be a very interesting topic.

It would be of interest to note if we are discussing 'regular' eating habits or 'occassional' eating habits. As far as 1st gen indians (or desis for that matter) are concerned, they do have some king of regular diet depending upon the region they come from, which I find it missing in most westerners table. Thier regular 'thali' of food is already a mix of international cuisine so there is not much difference if they eat at home or venture out, except for the difference in taste (and the convienence of cooking). As the 1st generation desis either adapt to local norms, the 2nd generation is not expected to call-back the original habits... Besides the international cuisines, it is also the trend towards more of frozen / pre cooked foods (primarily due to both partners working) that is of concern for 1st gen desi who is interested on preserving his original eating habits.

While it is true that you find most of the international cuisine in Indian metros, and they are increasing in popularity, the fact still remains that they are consumed only on occassional outings, not the regular course...generally on holidays / party etc...

It will also be interesting to note how soon these international cuisine will be accepted as the 'regular' diet of future generation desis, back home as well. An important aspect of our culture has been of tolerance towards outside influence and blending it with our regular ways of life...

Hiren

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Hiren

I think either or.. regular or occasional - this topic is also of great interest to me because im married to a 1st generation desi. Over time he has adapted to my mix of cuisines but prefers indian food. Having said that, rather than stick to regional cuisine like many others I know, his family enjoys food from different regions of India. It could be because he grew up in Delhi. I dont know. Perhaps someone can shed light on this.

When we have dinner parties though... Indian food is still mostly served.

It would be interesting to note how international cuisines are integrated into India's society. Especially because a lot of international foods are meat based and especially beef.

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