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Spotlight on India-what to eat
My wife and I are on this trip 8th March 2013 , the hotels look really good First visit to India and concerned about possibility of T D I wondered if anyone had any tips as what and what not to eat in India
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I hope you are excited for your upcoming trip to India.
Most meals will be in hotel restaurants where cleanliness is good and they are used to catering to westerners. All meals will feature a mix of Indian and non-Indian cuisine, with the exception of special group meals. At all hotels, Indian food is toned down to spice levels adapted to western palates. If you wish to have your food spicier or less spicy, you may request this as you place your order.
Indian food varies in style and there are many vegetarian dishes offered. Good quality vegetarian food is easily available. Curd or yogurt is served with most meals; it is a natural aid to digestion and helps temper the spicy food. It is suggested that you eat nonvegetarian food only in upscale restaurants since meat is cheaper and can be of questionable quality in smaller establishments. India, being a primarily Hindu country, does not offer beef in most restaurants, but pork, mutton (sheep meat) and chicken are common.
Indian meals are typically served family-style and intended to be passed and shared. Indian dishes almost always have a sauce or gravy, therefore plated dinners are uncommon. Beverages include tea and coffee, lassi, a yogurt-based drink, as well as soft drinks and beer.
“Thalis,” which are a variety of menu items served on one platter, are a customary style of meal in India. You will enjoy this type of meal on several occasions on the itinerary, giving you choice and flexibility while providing you the opportunity to relish this local customary dining practice. Several of the lunches on tour will be buffet style which will once again offer you the opportunity to enjoy a variety of menu items while maximizing our time for sightseeing. We plan to provide a lesson early in the program on Indian food to help you understand the many styles and typical foods.
Stomach ailments are the most common affliction of visitors to India. Although it is a nuisance and can dampen your enjoyment of the trip, following the general precautions outlined below will minimize the chances of getting sick. We strongly recommend that you drink only bottled water during your travels throughout India. In restaurants, insist that they bring a sealed bottle of water to your table. We strongly advise you not to use ice in your drinks anywhere. To be on the safe side, we strongly urge you to brush your teeth with bottled water during your stay in India. As an additional precaution, we advise you to be careful not to swallow water when bathing.
It is also a good idea to always wash your hands before and after eating. Eating raw vegetables and salads as well as unpeeled fruit, is strongly discouraged.
Hope this helps,
Emily
Sheila
The best breakfasts we had - the Masala Dosa entree at the Oberoi New Delhi. Don't be afraid to try - not overly spicy - think potato stuffed crepes.
Do bring Imodium, pepto and antacids should you ever feel ill.
Alternatively when dining by ourselves, even at the hotels, the spice level was more in keeping with what you would expect in India. We generally avoided street food, recognizing that our American digestive systems were not ready for this.
Many of the people on the tour indicated that the food was much less spicy than they expected. So don't worry about spicy food.
The hotels and the Tauck buses always had plenty of bottled water so staying hydrated was not a problem. You just have to remember not to brush your teeth with tap water!