Today, foodwise, has been more of the same. Meals have consisted of more yummy, nearly unidentifiable blobs, paired with a bowl of sambar and some sort of salad-like side for me. What you see above was breakfast this morning. The new tastes are all in the second picture. Starting clockwise from the top creamy hummus-looking blob: peanut chutney, upma, mint-coriander chutney, and egg scramble.

First, I don’t know why the chutneys are labeled as such because I always thought a chutney was a sweet/spicy/sour chopped and pickled type of condiment. These are definitely not that. Second, the upma rocked my socks.

The only other time I’ve even heard of upma was while watching the finale of  ”Top Chef Masters” when Floyd (the eventual champion) prepared the dish for his final challenge. I was so excited to try it this morning at Google’s cafeteria when I saw it offered. Tasting like a cross between oatmeal and grits, but with bigger grain kernels for a more satisfying chew, it is a savory, flavorful comforting hot mess. I went back for seconds.

I have to say though, and this deserves a sadface , I’m getting sick of curries. I know. It’s only the third day. But almost everything I’ve had so far in Hyderabad has been just on the brink of oversalted for me. My palate is a little tired. I just want a huge roasted veggie salad from California Pizza Kitchen with balsamic dressing.

Wow, that was super Los Angeles of me. Moving on. Lunch was basically like breakfast, but dessert was awesome. Aakanshi wanted me to try kulfi. It tastes like frozen condensed milk with a light chai flavor. In other words, really yummy.

After all this food, especially all the spicy and herby curries and sauces, I needed a breath-freshener.

I picked up this bad boy exiting the cafeteria. If you didn’t look closely at the small script at the bottom of that little packet, it reads: “Any Time Munch.”

Hahaha. I can’t help it. I’m a 12-year-old at heart. “Munch” is a funny word.The contents look like baby maggots, but taste fantastic. I think they are fennel seeds covered in sugar interspersed with other breath-freshening seeds or herbs and sugar balls. You just crunch it up in your mouth and eat it. I think it makes my breath smell sweeter.

Even if it didn’t, I’d still munch it.

Heehee.

xoxo,

Jenn