How Indian Food Became Frustratingly Hip

What this episode covers

Thanks to the cool-ification of Indian food, traditional ingredients from the subcontinent, like turmeric and ghee, are now repackaged and resold in Western and Westernized markets as if they were “new” discoveries. Cleaned up, minimalistic design labels are often employed to give the familiar and unfamiliar look, and conceal what one can argue is a recolonization of the Global South by the Global North. The U.S.-based academic Rumya Putcha tells us why this hipster Indian food is problematic, while Vidya Balachander, current South Asia editor at Whetstone, helps us unpack the idea of the global supermarket. Topics covered in this episode: Min 1:40: Meet Rumya Putcha Min 2:08: Meet Vidya Balachander Min 3:29: The root of the frustration Min 7:24: Logic of “cool-ification” Min 9:42: Marketing Otherness Min 11:00: Wellness as a form of travel Min 15:56: Displays of diversity in supermarkets Min 18:53: Aesthetics of Otherness Min 21:47: Going beyond outrage Min 25:38: Question of authenticity Min 28:03: No easy answer Learn more about this episode of Bad Table Manners at www.whetstoneradio.com, on IG and Twitter at @whetstoneradio, and YouTube at WhetstoneRadio. Guests: Rumya Putcha (@snailmobile821), Vidya Balachander (@vidya83)

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Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Bad Table Manners?

This episode is 33 minutes long.

When was this Bad Table Manners episode published?

This episode was published on February 23, 2022.

What is this episode about?

Thanks to the cool-ification of Indian food, traditional ingredients from the subcontinent, like turmeric and ghee, are now repackaged and resold in Western and Westernized markets as if they were “new” discoveries. Cleaned up, minimalistic design...

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