Myślę, że jedną z najtrudniejszych rzeczy żyjąc za granicą jest przyzwyczajenie się do lokalnej kuchni i produktów spożywczych. Mimo faktu, iż jestem osobą niezwykle otwartą i ciekawą obcych kuchni (jadłam już w swoim nie tak długim życiu różne dziwne rzeczy jak np. czarne jajka w końskiej urynie czy bycze jądra), ciężko jest przestawić się na żywienie diametralnie różne od naszego rdzennego.
Nie mam tu na myśli walorów smakowych, lecz odżywcze. Kuchnia polska XXI wieku, jest moim zdaniem zupełnie inna od tego co jadał nasz dziad czy pradziad. Nasze odżywianie stało się bardziej zbilansowane i świadome. Coraz częściej wybieramy zdrowe produkty, zapożyczamy to co najlepsze od innych kultur, pragnąc uzyskać jedzenie będące strawą nie tylko dla ciała ale i dla ducha.
Kiedyś nasza kuchnia obfitowała w dania mączne i ciężkie przaśne mięsiwa, dziś coraz częściej świadomie rezygnujemy z ziemniaków, czy sosu na rzecz sałatek, rezygnujemy z dań smażonych na rzecz grillowanych, duszonych czy pieczonych.
W Indiach wszystko ma bardziej tradycyjny wymiar. Mniej jest eksperymentowania, mniej nowości, przepisy przekazywane z pokolenia na pokolenie, kultywowane są na zasadzie narodowych skarbów. Jedzenie jest pyszne, jednak czy dla każdego?
źródło/source: http://www.indiafood4u.com
źródło/source: http://blog.hotelclub.com/
Niestety nie dla każdego. Europejczycy wychowani na diecie bardziej bogatej w białko (mięso, ryby, nabiał) mogą napotkać na pewnego rodzaju trudności, pragnąc przystosować się do jedzenia opartego na węglowodanach. W Indiach ciężko jest wyobrazić sobie jedzenie curry bez ryżu, czy chapati (chleba w formie placków). Dania same w sobie obfitują w węglowodany (fasola, groch, soczewica) i są jedzone z węglowodanami. W wielu domach nie spożywa się mięsa, czerpiąc białko z roślin strączkowych czy sera paneer, smacznego lecz tłustego zarazem. Wiele dań jest smażonych. Słodycze pyszne, aczkolwiek obfitujące w horrendalne ilości cukru. Ciężko jest znaleźć Indusa, który nie słodziłby swojej Masala chai. Doprowadza to do przedwczesnej otyłości, cukrzycy i innych powiązanych przypadłości. Wszystko byłoby w porządku, gdyby tryb życia był dostosowany do tego co się spożywa. W czasach gdy ludzie, pracowali fizycznie lub na roli, byli w stanie spalić tłuste kaloryczne jedzenie, jednak dziś kiedy nasza aktywność ogranicza się często wyłącznie do zmieniania kanałów w telewizorze, konieczne są zmiany.
Podobnie stało się ze mną. Chciałam być "Rzymianinem w Rzymie" i przez dwa lata pobytu w Indiach jadłam to co inni i "nie koniecznie" dobrze się to dla mnie skończyło ;). Mimo, iż nie objadałam się, słodycze jadłam sporadycznie to i tak wskazówka na wadze, przesunęła się w prawo w stopniu przeze mnie nie akceptowalnym!!! Nie stało się to z dnia na dzień, a systematycznie do momentu, aż przekroczyło punkt krytyczny. Gdybym była typową hinduską żoną pewnie bym się tym zbytnio nie przejmowała, bo tutaj to naturalne, że żonka tyje po ślubie (oznaka dobrobytu). Jednak jako, że jestem "z importu" było to dla mnie nie do przyjęcia.
Przez kilka miesięcy spędzonych w Polsce udało mi się zgubić wszystko co mi przybyło, Tym razem po powrocie do Indii, postanowiłam podejść do tematu w nieco inny sposób. Staram się wyszukiwać dobre, niskokaloryczne, korzystne dla zdrowia składniki i gotować sama lub czerpać z pysznej hinduskiej kuchni jedynie to co zdrowe i "nie grozi" extra centymetrami w pasie. Niestety potrzebne mi składniki nie są tak proste do zdobycia jak bym sobie tego życzyła. Produkty importowane są często horrendalnie drogie (nakłada się często nawet 300% cła), jednak przy odrobinie wysiłku, cierpliwości (nie wszystko można kupić w jednym sklepie jak u nas;)) i dobrej woli, można wypracować własny sposób na "przetrwanie" :).
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I personally think that one of the most difficult things living abroad is getting used to local cuisine and food products. In spite of the fact that I'm a very open-minded person (I have eaten lots of strange things in my not so long life eg. black eggs in horse urine or bull's testicles) it is difficult just to switch to eating food completely different from our basic. I don't mean here the taste values, but nutrition properties.
Polish cuisine of XXI century is in my opinion completely different than what had been eaten by our grand and great grandparents. Our nutrition has become much more balanced and we have a bigger awareness of what is good for us or not. More often we are choosing good healthy products, taking from different cultures all their best, in order to prepare food which is not only fuel for the body, but also a gift for mind and soul. In the past our cuisine was reach in flour based products and heavy greasy meat dishes. Today more often and more knowingly we are resigning from potatoes or sauce in favour for salads, we are resigning from fried foods to give place to grilled, sauteed or roasted dishes.
Polish cuisine of XXI century is in my opinion completely different than what had been eaten by our grand and great grandparents. Our nutrition has become much more balanced and we have a bigger awareness of what is good for us or not. More often we are choosing good healthy products, taking from different cultures all their best, in order to prepare food which is not only fuel for the body, but also a gift for mind and soul. In the past our cuisine was reach in flour based products and heavy greasy meat dishes. Today more often and more knowingly we are resigning from potatoes or sauce in favour for salads, we are resigning from fried foods to give place to grilled, sauteed or roasted dishes.
In India everything has more traditional dimension. There is less of experimenting, less of new things. Recipes are being passed from one generation to the other and cultivated like national treasures. The food is delicious, but is it really for everybody?
Unfortunately not. Europeans raised on more protein reach diet (meat, fish, diary products) may face some problems trying to get adjusted to food based mostly on carbohydrates. In India it is difficult to imagine eating curry without rice or chapati (kind of flat bread). Dishes themselves are reach in carbs (beans, lentils,) and are eaten with carbs. In India many people are vegetarians. They supply the protein in their diet by eating pulse (rich in protein 20-50%, but also rich in starch and other carbs) or kind of cottage cheese called paneer, tasty but fatty. There are plenty of fried dishes. Sweets are delicious but at the same point of time prepared with enormous amounts of sugar and very often ghee (clarified butter). It is also very hard to imagine an Indian not sweetening his or hers Masala chai. All these leads to premature obesity, diabetes and other related diseases. Everything would be perfectly fine if the lifestyle was adjusted to what is being consumed. During the times when people were working physically like in agriculture for example, they were able to burn easily greasy and rich food, however in nowadays world, when our physical activity very often limits just to changing channels on TV with a remote, changes are necessary.
Similar thing happened to me. I wanted to be a "Roman in Rome" and during my last two year stay in India I was eating same foods like everybody else, with not necessarily good result. I was neither overeating, nor eating too much of sweets, but still the pointer on the scale has shifted right, which I could not accept. It did not happen overnight, but systematically till the time it has reached critical value ;). Maybe if I was a "typical" Indian wife, I would not care much about it, as it is pretty normal that a wife (husband as well ;)) put on weight after marriage (signs of welfare :)).
During few months spent lately in Poland, I have managed to loose all what I have gained and this time I have decided, that after coming back to India , I will approach food topic from a different perspective. I am trying to choose good, low calorie, healthy ingredients and cook myself or choose from Indian cuisine only those dishes, which are healthy and do not create hazard of extra cm in waist. Unfortunately necessary ingredients are not so easy to get as I would like them to be. Imported products are often very expensive (sometimes with approx. 300% duty), however with a little bit of an effort, especially from Naveen's side, patience (as not everything is available in one shop) and good will, one can find his or hers own way for "survival".
To be continued...
Unfortunately not. Europeans raised on more protein reach diet (meat, fish, diary products) may face some problems trying to get adjusted to food based mostly on carbohydrates. In India it is difficult to imagine eating curry without rice or chapati (kind of flat bread). Dishes themselves are reach in carbs (beans, lentils,) and are eaten with carbs. In India many people are vegetarians. They supply the protein in their diet by eating pulse (rich in protein 20-50%, but also rich in starch and other carbs) or kind of cottage cheese called paneer, tasty but fatty. There are plenty of fried dishes. Sweets are delicious but at the same point of time prepared with enormous amounts of sugar and very often ghee (clarified butter). It is also very hard to imagine an Indian not sweetening his or hers Masala chai. All these leads to premature obesity, diabetes and other related diseases. Everything would be perfectly fine if the lifestyle was adjusted to what is being consumed. During the times when people were working physically like in agriculture for example, they were able to burn easily greasy and rich food, however in nowadays world, when our physical activity very often limits just to changing channels on TV with a remote, changes are necessary.
Similar thing happened to me. I wanted to be a "Roman in Rome" and during my last two year stay in India I was eating same foods like everybody else, with not necessarily good result. I was neither overeating, nor eating too much of sweets, but still the pointer on the scale has shifted right, which I could not accept. It did not happen overnight, but systematically till the time it has reached critical value ;). Maybe if I was a "typical" Indian wife, I would not care much about it, as it is pretty normal that a wife (husband as well ;)) put on weight after marriage (signs of welfare :)).
During few months spent lately in Poland, I have managed to loose all what I have gained and this time I have decided, that after coming back to India , I will approach food topic from a different perspective. I am trying to choose good, low calorie, healthy ingredients and cook myself or choose from Indian cuisine only those dishes, which are healthy and do not create hazard of extra cm in waist. Unfortunately necessary ingredients are not so easy to get as I would like them to be. Imported products are often very expensive (sometimes with approx. 300% duty), however with a little bit of an effort, especially from Naveen's side, patience (as not everything is available in one shop) and good will, one can find his or hers own way for "survival".
To be continued...
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