The foods I ate were shaped by the climate, the pace of the city, and the importance of sharing meals with others. By following food through my day, come explore how food helps tell the story of daily life in Chennai.
While living in Chennai, I tried many different foods throughout my day. I ate Indian airplane meals with rice, lentils, vegetables, yogurt and curry while traveling. I also ate food on trains, where meals were packed in trays and eaten while moving from place to place. During the day, I ate snacks such as flavored chips, biscuits and sweets that are popular in the city. Some flavors were spicy, tangy or sweet, and they tasted very different from snacks I usually eat in the United States.
I also tried fresh foods such as watermelon topped with seeds and spices, which is a common snack in hot weather. At restaurants, I ate traditional South Indian meals served on banana leaves, including flatbreads, curries and chutneys. I ate these meals using my hands, which is a common practice in South India. I also ate food from other cuisines, such as ramen noodles and pasta, which shows how Chennai offers many different types of food from around the world. Together, these foods helped me understand what people in Chennai eat every day at home, while traveling and when spending time with friends.
