Hunting and Gathering: Mostly Gathering

It must be fun to work in advertising in India. According to commercials, radio spots, and print ads, Indian products are not only amazing, but they never disappoint.

Nestle milk: "Purity is a guarantee for health!"
Amul Pasteurized Butter: "Utterly Butterly Delicious!"
Tropicana Juice: "A 250ml glass of Tropicana Pineapple gives you enough energy to walk a mile."

Grocery stores bombard shoppers with such glowing reviews. Most of the time I can judge which of these claims holds some truth and which is unabashed marketing. I am not always so lucky. Sure, Amul makes some pretty fantastic butter, but his "Cheeza" pizza cheese does not quite measure up. How was I to resist a name as enchanting as "Cheeza"?

As if the advertising didn't make my food shopping difficult enough, maneuvering around the stores is as challenging as running the gauntlet! No matter the day of the week or the time of day, my favorite grocery is always in the midst of restocking. Saree clad women on their step ladders clog the aisles of Spencer's Daily, adding more bags of rice and tea biscuits to the already bulging shelves. Shopping carts are out of the question.

Even after several visits I am still a bit overwhelmed by the grain aisle. There are ten different types of rice and fifteen different types of other starches that look exactly the same to my inexpert eyes. Channa or Dahl? They look pretty similar to me. It's a good thing that I only cook for Americans at this point. I am sure that Chennaikers have much more discerning palates than we do when it comes to such things.

The next aisle over is much more fun for me: cookies! Ok, so most of them are technically digestive biscuits, but hey, they're necessary when you are subsisting on a South Indian diet! That is not to mention that they are quite yummy. I can spend ten minutes staring at all of the various biscuits. Our favorite brand is called "Marie" or what we call "Maries". I like the orange flavor while Matt enjoys the coffee flavor with his morning cuppa.

The produce section is another favorite part of Spencer's. Even though the lettuce and cauliflower rarely look edible, the tomatoes, cucumbers, string beans, potatoes, eggplant, and baby corn are always perfect specimens. This corner of the store taught me new names for some vegetables. Bell peppers become capsicum and small pumpkins are given the intriguing appellation of "pumpkin disco". The best part of the produce section is, hands down, the prices. I can overload my basket with veggies and pay a maximum of rupees 150 or about $3. $3 to feed us for a week. Gotta love that exchange rate!

I usually make it out of the store feeling pleased with my purchases but still at a loss as to what I am going to cook. I can't wait until my cookbooks arrive...

One last gem I would like to leave you with.
Aashirvaad Iodized Salt: "There is nothing more important to our daily life than salt. It is the essence of all life, enabling health and fitness."

-Abbie