#2 - Sometimes, Smaller is Better.
The first thing you notice when you go to a fruit & veg market in Delhi, is how small all the fruit and veg look. Bell Peppers are barely the size of a women's fist, onions are half the size of US, and tomatoes come in one variety (mostly).
Frankly, I was a bit disappointed on my first shopping experience. None of the veg looked particularly tasty. Frankly - it looked a lot like the leftovers on a Sunday night at your local Piggly Wiggly.
Determined to cook for myself, and unable to stomach another meal of pasta, I bought a bit of everything from a veg stand in Gurgaon and headed home to experiment. After washing and slicing a few bell peppers, I put together a plate of hummus and sat down. With one bite, I was a converted man.
You see, in the US most produce is often treated with pesticides, insecticides or herbicides. It is frequently genetically modified & almost always seems to grown to weigh as much as possible - and last a really long time on a shelf (a really, really long time - I once saw a show on Food Network which showed how Potatoes were stored for nearly a year before being made into french fries - Yuck). All this leads to giant grocery stores stocked with monstrously sized - flavorless produce.
In India, the supply chain is altered. Generally speaking - produces travels significantly shorter distances to end up on your dinner table & is much more flavorful. It is certainly more "ugly" - with spots & perhaps actual signs of transport - but I assure you - the taste is phenomenal.
This is my second of 30 things I learned in India. I learned how produce is meant to be grown & meant to taste. Funny, it took moving to India to discover how amazing a bell pepper could taste, or to learn how tasty raw onion can be(try it at home with lime juice & salt).
Before moving to Delhi, I paid good money at the Green City Market in order to put together a Seasonal Menu of locally sourced produce. Now, I just visit any street corner.
