The story behind Google Maps, and Akbar the vegetarian | #39
Why did Brazil thank India recently?
Today’s newsletter is all about that F word - Food. We have no beef with you in case you unsubscribe as this may not be your cup of tea. But we would love to fillet you with some cool stories about food.
If this hasn’t whetted your appetite, check out the panel for our next quiz. Krish Ashok, the man of many talents, will host The Ultimate Food Quiz. Our panelists include the simbly wonderful Narendra Shenoy, the chumma cooking Satshya and our very own Sai Ganesh. Register here.
Things we learnt this week
Akbar, the Mughal king, was known to be a staunch vegetarian, and like many Indians and Mughals, loved his Biriyani (Insert vegetarian pulao reference here). But he preferred the side dish Mirch Ka Salan over the rice. He loved his salan not only for its taste, but the fact that it had a flavour integration from all over the kingdom - perhaps he was giving a subtle national integration message.
Whereas Akbar had a Khas Diwan (see what we did there) to have lunch with, most Koreans eat alone and prefer to watch Mukbang videos as companions while having their meals. But China seems to have taken offense at this practice and is actively clamping down on their influencers. President Xi, has realized post Covid that food wastage is a big problem in China and has taken on these Mukbang video creators for wasting food. Most of these videos are now accompanied by warnings about food wastage on Chinese apps.
You might remember a long time ago in a galaxy far far away, when we were locked up inside our houses and banged pots and pans and sang Go Corona Go. But Brazilians used that as a way to register their protest at the way their government handled the pandemic. It didn’t have any effect as Brazil zoomed ahead in the race for the most number of Corona cases and even its leader Bolsanaro was infected. Bolsanaro though, has thanked India for its vaccine diplomacy with a WhatsApp forwarding Sanjivani image.
From Twitter, with Love
Feb 1, 1981 saw an Australian captain instruct a bowler, who happened to be his brother, to bowl a ball underarm to a number 11 batsman when they needed 7 runs off 1 ball. This short thread reveals why Greg Chappell did what he did that day.
Google Maps could have been called Bird mode. Read this thread to know why.
Things we’re reading / watching / listening to:
Raja, Rasoi aur Anya Kahaniyaan - this series explores the history behind the cuisine of Indian royals, showing how they were discovered and its significance. Syllabus for the Ultimate Foodie Quiz.
Midnight Diner - A Japanese Manga was converted into a TV series that focuses on a late-night diner in Shinjuku called Meshiya. Each episode delves into the life of a different character who visits the diner. Nice easy relaxing episodes to watch along with your meal.
SouthBay
Our 9th episode all about the constitution is up on SouthBay YouTube channel. Don’t forget to tune in on Sunday 6PM for the last episode of the season.
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