Picky Eating and a Trip to Vietnam
Fried rice was my go-to dish until...
I have been a picky eater for most of my life. I hated trying or tasting new foods until a few years ago.
My food preferences were as predictable as the sun rising in the east—safe, simple, and familiar. I took sautéed starch veggies as my side dish for lunch three out of five days until college. I refused to try the majority of fruits based on their smell. I didn’t dare order a menu item that seemed different unless it was deep-fried.
Until I was ten, my family had to search for a restaurant serving fried rice. It was the only thing I would eat when visiting a new town or city. I wouldn't say I liked South Indian-style biriyani due to its heavy clove taste, and it took my parents ten years to get me to try a Hyderabadi-style biriyani which I surprisingly liked.
In the last two years, I found myself open to trying different foods and cuisines. If I have to tie this change to two key reasons, I would attribute it to:
My trip to Vietnam
Self-cooking in my kitchen
Amidst DIY Rice Paper Rolls and Egg Coffee
It was my first international trip with my partner. We planned it through an agency and all our meals were paid for in advance. When we landed in Hanoi, our guide asked our food preferences and if we had any meat restrictions. We glanced through his list of restaurants which had both Indian and Vietnamese options along with the meal names.
As soon as we replied we had no restrictions, he simply stated that he would take us to the Vietnamese restaurants, since we were young enough to try different foods. We gladly agreed and it was the best decision.
We tried a plethora of delicious Vietnamese dishes over the next few days. Like Cơm Chiên Trứng (Sticky egg fried rice), Gỏi Cuốn (Rice paper spring rolls), Gỏi Đu Đủ (Papaya salad), seafood noodle soup, and much more.
The taste of different broths, the local ways of food preparation, and the unique streetside food aromas opened up our food palette. It got us to try Vietnamese Egg Coffee (Cà Phê Trứng), Coconut Coffee (Cà Phê Cốt Dừa), and other dishes outside of our itinerary meals. We didn’t like every dish we tried. But, we were okay with it and moved on.
Had we been allowed to select our menu items from the Vietnamese restaurants, we would have stuck to the dishes that appeared safe to our minds. I would have never picked Gỏi Cuốn since it’s usually served cold. My partner would have been skeptical about trying lamb-based dishes. The fixed meals increased our exposure to Vietnamese cuisine and it got both of us to try foods we used to hate for no reason.
Learning by Cooking
I didn’t start cooking until after my marriage. Until then, I knew the basics, helped my amma with sautéing now and then, and entered the kitchen only to bake.
When I moved into an apartment with my partner, both of us learned to cook together. Based on our strengths and degree of aversion, each of us settled into our roles within the kitchen.
He cuts veggies while I read recipes and create dishes. He washes the leafy greens, and I handle the meat. Sometimes, we do the opposite if the other person is unable to do it. As months passed by and we became used to cooking, we got better at handling our aversions. I guess we had no other choice other than to do it.
I can’t leave a milk packet outside for hours when he’s at the office just because I hate handling it. He can’t avoid cutting onions because they make his eyes tear up. And so on.
All this time in the kitchen and handling the ingredients helped me develop a more positive attitude towards food. Maybe, I simply became open to trying a dish because I cooked it. Or I had to improvise the recipes based on my fridge inventory.
I can’t believe I’m the same person who used to shield my eyes from green veggies or wanted to eat only at McDonald's and KFC during my trip to Thailand in 2019.
I love the white sauce pasta I make using bottle gourd which I would have absolutely never allowed my amma to cook. I get a little sad every time the baby spinach goes out of stock before I buy it. I explore local department stores when I travel to other countries and come back with different sauces and condiments.
My trip to Vietnam and the time I spent in my kitchen have increased my willingness to try out new foods for the better. I researched well in advance before my Turkey trip and took my family to local restaurants. I made it a point to eat in different hawker stalls when I visited Singapore. While I’m still quite fussy when it comes to fruits, I know I have come a long way from my 18-year-old self.
We were once kids before we turned into adults.
How much of who we are is shaped by the places we visit or the people we love?
Which behaviors have remained despite the years?
Do those traits make us ‘us’ or have they not been pushed out of our comfort zone yet?