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Booze and meat can be found in Bangalore, much the same way that vegetarian food can be found in Japan. And I've been to a few of the pubs there. Well. Yeah. N

by weeksie 17y ago

Booze and meat can be found in Bangalore, much the same way that vegetarian food can be found in Japan. And I've been to a few of the pubs there. Well. Yeah. Not to say I didn't enjoy my stay, on the contrary I loved it; but I wouldn't move there and act indignant because I couldn't get good quality wine and steak. The point was to illustrate that Southern India is a culture inclined to vegetarian food and not drinking. And while you _can_ find meat (and some semblance of wine) in Bangalore it's hardly the same as New York or Sydney (my two "homes") in that regard.

plinkplonk 17y ago
"Booze and meat can be found in Bangalore, much the same way that vegetarian food can be found in Japan." From what I understand from the article under discussion , purely vegetarian food hardly exists in japan. I have no idea if that is true, but the situation wrt meat is hardly the same in South India, so your comparison above is demonstrably false. "The point was to illustrate that Southern India is a culture inclined to vegetarian food and not drinking." Rubbish. Your stay in Bangalore doesn't lead you to correct generalizations about South India. In Kerala for instance, (one of the four states in South India), practically everyone is a non vegetarian. Hyderabad(in Andhra Pradesh) is famous for its nonvegetarian food, specially Biriyani. You have no idea about the amount of liquor consumed either. Extremely large quantities of liquor are consumed in South India. There is a thriving illegal liquor mafia which would be very interested in your discuvery that South India is "not inclined" to liquor. The people you interacted with during your stay here may have been largely vegetarian, but South India is hardly "inclined" to either vegetarianism or abstinence from alcohol, the way the OP describes Japan as being "inclined to " non vegetarianism.Show me any locality in Bangalore and I'll find you a couple of dozen non vegetarian restaurants in a 5 km radius. And lots of liquor shops. I've lived here 35+ years. I should know. I'll grant you that you may not get a steak done the way you want it, but hey I can't get a Masala Dosa in the average restaurant in Arizona. That hardly means Westerners don't "incline" to potatoes (the major filling in a Masala Dosa. Most South Indian non vegetarians eat Chicken or Lamb (and not primarily Pork or Beef as in the United States). Beef is slightly rarer (but again not in Kerala). You need to distinguish "meat" from the "exact dish I eat in New York". I was saying there was plenty of meat In Bangalore, not sausages made Chicago Style (or whatever). Meat does not dominate the menu as much as in the West, but it is easily available almost everywhere. Some communities of people, e.g Brahmins or Jains or Buddhists are vegetarians. These are minorities. Large chunks of Hindus, Muslims and Christians are meat eaters (and alcohol drinkers). Apart from these minority communities, People who don't regularly eat meat do so because of economic reasons not any "inclination" to vegetarianism.
- weeksie 17y ago
  He was exaggerating about the scarcity, I've travelled Japan with vegetarian friends and they could fine suitable food (and quite nice food when we were in the mountains around Buddhist temples). In any case you're getting into a nitpick about the general idea which is that a meat loving boozehound is going to feel really out of place in India when compared to, say, Japan, Australia, North America, Europe, etc. . . . As one of those I wouldn't move to India and expect to have my cravings for steak and a nice Bordeaux satisfied with any regularity. Just as I wouldn't move to Japan as a veggo and expect to have my cravings for super awesome tempeh dishes satisfied. And I certainly wouldn't complain about it like that.
  - plinkplonk 17y ago
    "As one of those I wouldn't move to India and expect to have my cravings for steak and a nice Bordeaux satisfied with any regularity. Just as I wouldn't move to Japan as a veggo and expect to have my cravings for super awesome tempeh dishes satisfied. And I certainly wouldn't complain about it like that." Fair Enough! Fwiw, some Indians bitch and moan about American food habits when they move to the USA so I am sure the habit is fairly universal !
    - weeksie 17y ago
      I agree completely. People will find things to complain about nearly everywhere. Frankly, if I had an opportunity to spend more time in India I wouldn't complain one bit because I really enjoy the country and I could be quite happy going without my usual fair.

by weeksie 17y ago

plinkplonk 17y ago

"Booze and meat can be found in Bangalore, much the same way that vegetarian food can be found in Japan." From what I understand from the article under discussion , purely vegetarian food hardly exists in japan. I have no idea if that is true, but the situation wrt meat is hardly the same in South India, so your comparison above is demonstrably false. "The point was to illustrate that Southern India is a culture inclined to vegetarian food and not drinking." Rubbish. Your stay in Bangalore doesn't lead you to correct generalizations about South India. In Kerala for instance, (one of the four states in South India), practically everyone is a non vegetarian. Hyderabad(in Andhra Pradesh) is famous for its nonvegetarian food, specially Biriyani. You have no idea about the amount of liquor consumed either. Extremely large quantities of liquor are consumed in South India. There is a thriving illegal liquor mafia which would be very interested in your discuvery that South India is "not inclined" to liquor. The people you interacted with during your stay here may have been largely vegetarian, but South India is hardly "inclined" to either vegetarianism or abstinence from alcohol, the way the OP describes Japan as being "inclined to " non vegetarianism.Show me any locality in Bangalore and I'll find you a couple of dozen non vegetarian restaurants in a 5 km radius. And lots of liquor shops. I've lived here 35+ years. I should know. I'll grant you that you may not get a steak done the way you want it, but hey I can't get a Masala Dosa in the average restaurant in Arizona. That hardly means Westerners don't "incline" to potatoes (the major filling in a Masala Dosa. Most South Indian non vegetarians eat Chicken or Lamb (and not primarily Pork or Beef as in the United States). Beef is slightly rarer (but again not in Kerala). You need to distinguish "meat" from the "exact dish I eat in New York". I was saying there was plenty of meat In Bangalore, not sausages made Chicago Style (or whatever). Meat does not dominate the menu as much as in the West, but it is easily available almost everywhere. Some communities of people, e.g Brahmins or Jains or Buddhists are vegetarians. These are minorities. Large chunks of Hindus, Muslims and Christians are meat eaters (and alcohol drinkers). Apart from these minority communities, People who don't regularly eat meat do so because of economic reasons not any "inclination" to vegetarianism.

weeksie 17y ago
He was exaggerating about the scarcity, I've travelled Japan with vegetarian friends and they could fine suitable food (and quite nice food when we were in the mountains around Buddhist temples). In any case you're getting into a nitpick about the general idea which is that a meat loving boozehound is going to feel really out of place in India when compared to, say, Japan, Australia, North America, Europe, etc. . . . As one of those I wouldn't move to India and expect to have my cravings for steak and a nice Bordeaux satisfied with any regularity. Just as I wouldn't move to Japan as a veggo and expect to have my cravings for super awesome tempeh dishes satisfied. And I certainly wouldn't complain about it like that.
- plinkplonk 17y ago
  "As one of those I wouldn't move to India and expect to have my cravings for steak and a nice Bordeaux satisfied with any regularity. Just as I wouldn't move to Japan as a veggo and expect to have my cravings for super awesome tempeh dishes satisfied. And I certainly wouldn't complain about it like that." Fair Enough! Fwiw, some Indians bitch and moan about American food habits when they move to the USA so I am sure the habit is fairly universal !
  - weeksie 17y ago
    I agree completely. People will find things to complain about nearly everywhere. Frankly, if I had an opportunity to spend more time in India I wouldn't complain one bit because I really enjoy the country and I could be quite happy going without my usual fair.