4 ms·

Having just recently returned from Kolkata, India ... I agree the chicken tastes so much different, and better. The bananas too ! No comparison to the bananas

by yial 7y ago

Having just recently returned from Kolkata, India ... I agree the chicken tastes so much different, and better. The bananas too ! No comparison to the bananas in the US.

selimthegrim 7y ago
What else suffers in comparison? The fruit?
- yial 7y ago
  Mangos are better. But fruit that doesn’t come in a wrapper, due to the water exposure and things can be somewhat dubious quality at times. (By wrapper I mean a skin that’s removable). Potatoes and eggplant generally tasted the same to me, as did carrots. Jackfruit is much better in India too. Interesting note about the chicken, and this is anecdotal, but I’m pretty sure the chickens are a different bread then what we consume in the US. The bones always seemed thicker with less meat. (Which I believe is a chicken that’s been less bread for consumption )
  - tptacek 7y ago
    They almost certainly are a different breed; there are a bunch of chicken breeds indigenous to India. The are Indian chickens bred for egg-laying and those for meat. Also, the age of the chicken when slaughtered is a pretty big factor in how much flavor it has, as is the diet, which is probably the major reason supermarket CAFO chicken is flavorless. Obviously, another problem America has with chicken is its addiction to chicken breast, which is really tricky to do well. Can I just point out that this is a pretty weird combination of topics for a thread?
    - fian 7y ago
      To understand why the US breeds are different to other countries, have a read of: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/future-of-food/poultry-food-production-agriculture-mckenna/ https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/future-of-foo... It describes a competition to breed large breasted chickens in the US, post WW2. The downside to that larger breasts is a decrease in flavour.
    - rayiner 7y ago
      Another factor is that the fancy chicken just wasn’t a thing 30 years ago, at least in suburban VA where I was. Either I’ve gotten used to it, or Whole Foods chicken is markedly better. (I even enjoy a nice pan fried chicken breast these days.)

by yial 7y ago

Having just recently returned from Kolkata, India ... I agree the chicken tastes so much different, and better. The bananas too ! No comparison to the bananas in the US.

selimthegrim 7y ago

What else suffers in comparison? The fruit?

yial 7y ago
Mangos are better. But fruit that doesn’t come in a wrapper, due to the water exposure and things can be somewhat dubious quality at times. (By wrapper I mean a skin that’s removable). Potatoes and eggplant generally tasted the same to me, as did carrots. Jackfruit is much better in India too. Interesting note about the chicken, and this is anecdotal, but I’m pretty sure the chickens are a different bread then what we consume in the US. The bones always seemed thicker with less meat. (Which I believe is a chicken that’s been less bread for consumption )
- tptacek 7y ago
  They almost certainly are a different breed; there are a bunch of chicken breeds indigenous to India. The are Indian chickens bred for egg-laying and those for meat. Also, the age of the chicken when slaughtered is a pretty big factor in how much flavor it has, as is the diet, which is probably the major reason supermarket CAFO chicken is flavorless. Obviously, another problem America has with chicken is its addiction to chicken breast, which is really tricky to do well. Can I just point out that this is a pretty weird combination of topics for a thread?
  - fian 7y ago
    To understand why the US breeds are different to other countries, have a read of: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/future-of-food/poultry-food-production-agriculture-mckenna/ https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/future-of-foo... It describes a competition to breed large breasted chickens in the US, post WW2. The downside to that larger breasts is a decrease in flavour.
  - rayiner 7y ago
    Another factor is that the fancy chicken just wasn’t a thing 30 years ago, at least in suburban VA where I was. Either I’ve gotten used to it, or Whole Foods chicken is markedly better. (I even enjoy a nice pan fried chicken breast these days.)