Epicureal Experiences in Little India:
It has been long since the last time I had actually stepped into the ethnic community melting pot located in the ever-bustling Serangoon Road. In fact, it had been 8 years since the first time I came across gloriously rich Basmati Rice being served with an aromatic array of curries attractively served and presented on a simple yet stunningly simple banana leaf.
It had also been the first time in 8 years since I had come across parakeets that could predict your fortune, as well as Indian jewellers who could speak more dialects than I could count with my ten fingers (or to be POLITICALLY CORRECT, my EIGHT fingers and TWO thumbs).
But Today had changed everything; Today had done it all. And appropriately, it began at lunch. I was not at all familiar with the cuisine that was offered nor was I sure of which eateries were good but hey, I was in a group and they had already made the decision. The best thing that I could've done was to simply trust their words, go along with the flow and as the old adage goes- When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
In my dictionarious translation, that would have equated to- "Just sit down, shut up and eat. If it's good, enjoy it, say thank you, and then shut up and eat again."
That very restaurant, which BLEW me away, that very restaurant that made me a believer, was known as (the) Gurkha Palace. Authentic Nepalese food at its best. The curries were TO DIE FOR and I have always had alot of respect for the culture of the Nepalese people and the environments in which they grew up in.
Each time I sit down and recollect about the people of Nepal, I am reminded about the legendary stories I've heard about the Gurkhas and their revered blades, the training they go through; the Sherpas, acting as your guides in the mountains.
Indeed, it was truly a sumptuous and tantilizing meal that left me in high Heaven. What happened thereafter was the journey through a miriad of colours, sights, smells and flavours through the alleys of the Indian heritage.
It struck me to get entirely lost within the walls of the estate and it was instinct leading me on from there. No planned routes, no maps, no asking for directions- It was anything-goes.
And there I was, taking my time to simply walk and explore a culture I had never been exposed so greatly too since I was a child and what pleasures I derived from aimless wandering stemmed from one simple objective that pounded at the back of my head like a child throwing his tantrum- waiting to be satisfied and let free. That objective? The one-time experience of chewing a Betel Nut. That's right, ONE betel nut.
I had learned about this little habit of chewing betel nuts 8 years back and had always wanted to give it a try but I just never got to doing it simply because I never had the chance to go out looking for it. In case you have no idea WHAT a betel nut is, it is a nut that is either slivered or grated, often flavoured with spices according to local tradition, and usually wrapped in a betel leaf and is chewed until its fibrous residue is the only thing that remains in your mouth before its characteristic, bright red dye is spat out leaving sputum that resembles blood (Isn't that so damn cool?)
In India, betel (called paan or pan) chewing is very popular. Paan is often served wrapped in a betel leaf, as described above. A ground mixture of betel nuts and other spices, is made into a concoction of flavours.
Here's how the betels are prepared:
And from there, the leaves are wrapped up into a bundle, and the entire package is popped into your mouth before a bunch of flavours explode in your mouth.
The Betel Nut I had, was topped with a clove. I always hated cloves, but stupidly enough, I did not have the slightest idea that it WAS a clove, simply because I didn't see it 'plopped' onto the centre of the leaf. Cloves were always disgustingly strong and overpowering and this was how the chew tasted:
1) When I made the first bite,it was crunchy and watery
2) not before long, I tasted coconuts and its juice began oozing
3)The first spit was characteristic enough- red and granular
4)It was sweet and extremely spicey (thanks to Mr. Clove)
5) It was like having incense in your mouth after 5 minutes of chewing.
The flavours were all right, and my first initial thought upon the explosion of flavours was, "WHOA.", but I wasn't particularly comfortable with the fact that my tongue went numb..I am serious when I say this, my tongue, went numb. To be specific, it felt like a dentist had inject the anaesthetic intended for my teeth into my tongue.
I probably looked kinda dumb with my tongue hanging out and wagging like a dog but nonetheless, I proceeded to finish up the chew-spit experience before I was walking around feeling as if I had a joss stick in my mouth, releasing its incense unto my palate.
