India’s Delicious Products - Or, Why Can’t We Get That Here?
Possibly the best thing about being in an intercultural relationship, at least for the curious mind, is the in-depth, nitty-gritty exposure you get to a different group’s culture. Be prepared for the flood of new customs, food, clothes, vocabulary, entertainment and so forth that’ll be coming your way. The only thing I can compare it to is living in a foreign country with a roommate or family from that country - of course, then you’re still in an intercultural relationship, just not a romantic one.
While a number of problems can arise from having two or more cultures operating in the same house, today’s focus is on the unadulterated good things that come from sharing a culture. The things that will remain perfect in my mind forever. Even if Aditya were to run off the squirrel that hangs out near the bedroom window (they were eying each other this morning) and break my heart, or declare a hatred for IKEA (and break my heart), I will appreciate our time together because of these three things:
Thums Up
Maggi
Coffy Bite
Thums Up, as you can tell from the picture, is a cola. But it is not any cola - no, it is the pinnacle of colas. On first sip, a Coca-Cola drinker will just notice a slightly “off” taste - sort of like store-brand coke. But then the spiciness hits. Not spicy in terms of hotness, but zing, pizzazz, oomph. As the brand’s slogan goes, “thums up… taste the thunder!” It’s utterly addictive, particularly when consumed with food that has its own pizzazz. Or, you know, delicious rum - or so I’m told. Thums Up can be found in some South Asian groceries, although we still haven’t located a place in the DC area that sells it. (It’s been a sad, fruitless search - cue the world’s smallest violin.) There are plenty of Indian groceries in California that carry it, and some in New York as well.
Maggi is actually a brand name, not a particular product. But in our household “Maggi” always refers to the delicious, ramen-esque noodles that is a healthy (or so the packet says) meal any time of the day. It’s the seasoning packets that really take it beyond any other bag of noodles - the best flavors are curry and masala. Preparation also matters - so much so, in fact, that I’ll be posting on how to properly make Maggi in a day or two. (Also, most packets you can find in the US only have directions in Hindi or Bengali.) Luckily for Americans nation-wide, it seems every South Asian grocery carries an endless stock of Maggi. True, they completely rip you off - $1 or more per packet, when it costs maybe ten cents in India. It’s still a small price to pay for true love.
Lastly, we have Coffy Bite. Ah, Coffy Bite - a piece of candy combining the tastes of coffee and toffee into a wondrous whole. Everyone I’ve shared this treat with has loved it, yet the candy remains so unknown in the Western world that there is no wikipedia entry for it. This is a tragedy. Also tragic: we are down to two coffy bites in the house. TWO! We started with a 500g bag in January, and have been rationing carefully since, only offering it to true bosom friends. Aditya’s parents will resupply us when they visit the US this summer, but May is a long way off, and you just can’t find Coffy Bite in the US. I’ve tried. A lot.
I love this candy so much that when Aditya proposed to me he gave me a ring and a bag of Coffy Bite that he had kept hidden as a package deal - if I wanted one, I had to accept the other. I believe this was his way of insuring against a rejected suit. He’s a smart boy like that.
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Comments
Maggi to me has always been a brand of gravy browning! But I knew they made other products, I’ve just never used them! Maybe I will…
I have to say that if my husband decided he hated IKEA, that would be grounds for divorce. :p
You reminded me of the simple pleasures of India :). Another key ingredient ingrained in the indian crockpot is Amul - The taste of India, hehe.
Anne, Dale, I’m telling you - Maggi noodles are pretty awesome. Get yourselves to an Indian grocery! 
6mile, thanks for stopping by the blog! I enjoyed Amul while I was traveling in India, although I recognize it by the logo, not name.
I think we have an Indian grocery here in Honolulu. We have a few Indian restaurants, but I don’t think I’ve come across an indian grocery yet.
Oo, I want to add one: I love Parle G cookies. They’re the kind of biscuit you give to babies, very boring. But they taste so good.
[...] Gori Girl wonders about the three essentially Indian brands that she sorely misses in the U.S. I’ve seen at least two of them out here although [...]
@ Dale - Indian groceries are useful for more than just Maggi. They also tend to be a good resource for spices and cheap lentils & rice.
@ galaxie - I’ve never heard of Parle G biscuits before, but I’ll try to find them the next time we head to the Indian grocery.
@ UMD alumn - thanks for stopping by Gori Girl, and a BIG thanks for the tip about where to find Thums Up in the DC area. College Park is a bit out of our way, but we could probably stock up there every now and then.
[...] girl lives in the wrong parts of USA-halli! Via Desipundit, I learnt about Gori girl’s missing Thumbs Up, Maggi and Coffy Bite in California. Thumbs Up — surely yes; Coffy Bite — may be yes; may be no; I have to check (since I [...]
@ Guru - thanks for the tip! I don’t have any trouble finding Maggi around here (thank goodness!), but maybe Dale will find it helpful.
@ Pooja - I probably had Amul butter when I was in India without knowing it - is there something particularly different about the taste? But, anyways, a tab (or a slab 
) of butter adds a lot to the taste of Maggi - absolute must!
@ SG - I asked Aditya what Krackjack was, and he immediately broke out into the Hindi jingle! He also tells me it’s pretty much like crack in that all it takes is one bit to start craving it. I must investigate…
Yummy. That pic of Maggi is enticing! It saves me half the trouble every time I stay in the US. You never really get bored of Maggi, and I’m the testament for it. I’ve literally stayed on ‘only maggi - 4/5 times a day’ for weeks during holidays. Try Maggi + novels!
Hi Govar - thanks for stopping by the blog. I don’t think eating Maggi for every meal would be that healthy, but I bet it would be really yummy. I did spend one semester in college eating TastyBite - prepackaged & precooked Indian dishes - for about every lunch and dinner. I’d purchased them in bulk and ended up with over 100 pounds of the stuff.
Hi,
Oh yes, Thums Up is probably the Indian product I miss the most from India. I too get these Thums Up craving which have to pacified with a cheap substitute (Coke).
I should warn you, I have tried the Thums Up they sell in the Indian stores in glass bottles, and it tasted like horse urine. It was nothing like the Thums Up of India, instead it was watered down crap. I know certain Indian stores also sell Thums Up in big (1.8L?) plastic bottles, but am not sure how it is as I have not had a chance to taste it. Perhaps the store near my house is the only one with the fake Thums Up, but do be warned of the stuff in glass bottles. I don’t want you to be disappointed when you try it.
[...] the two obsessions of the Indian diaspora. Incidentally, Gori Girl too feels the pain as she lists the three essentially Indian brands that she misses in the U.S. [posted by [...]
You can at least get Maggi
http://www.indianblend.com/site/664954/product/NO-1d
http://www.desifood4less.com/default.aspx?oid=84661
http://www.kamdarplaza.com/product_info.php?products_id=546
And you might want to call the following stories to see if you can get the others you mentioned.
Glover Park Market
2411 13th St, Washington, DC, USA
(202) 333-4030
Orient Foods
2116 18th St, NW, Washington, DC, USA, 20019
202-265-7100
Saras Food Market
3008, Q St, Washington, DC, USA, 20017
202-223-7972
Here is another place to get Maggi.
http://indiaspicehouse.shopclassic.com/index.cfm?Page=ShowDetails&ProductID=4013
Compared to the others it seems relatively easy to get Maggi in the States.
@ Datek: I’ve actually only had Thums Up in the US - silly me, I didn’t try buying it while I was visiting India. I know that Coke can taste differently from country to country, but I didn’t know Thums Up can (thought it was just imported direct from India). Maybe you just got a bad batch?
@ Steve: thanks for all the links! I don’t have much trouble finding Maggi (although I wish it were available in *every* grocery store), but Thums Up is always an issue, and I’ve never seen Coffy Bite.
Ohh this post reminds me of all the foods I miss from India. Although the three you mentioned arent on my list…
Street food, or dhaba food, or chaat, or dosa w chutney. MMM
And the coconuts here NEVER taste the same!
When I visited India Aditya wouldn’t let me eat street food for fear of stomach problems, but he and his friends routinely rave about it, especially puchka/pani puri. I wouldn’t be surprised if the coconuts taste differently here in the US, since they’re most likely being shipped a lot further. I’m told the mangos here in the US are also quite inferior to what you can find in India.
Oh the mangoes here can barely even qualify as mangoes!:D The little yellow ones(champagne?) are the best ones available though.
GG, thanks for this post. When I asked my guy if he’d ever had Thums Up, his eyes totally lit up. I can’t wait to travel to India - so many cool things to try!
@ Mirchi: I think I heard last season that they’re finally letting India export its mangoes to the US. Perhaps quality will improve slightly…
@ CaliforniaTransplant: try finding Thums Up in your area, if you can’t wait ’til any future India trips. I know it’s possible - it’s pretty widely available in California (Bay Area), and we even found some in Bloomington, Indiana.
Aditya proposing to you with coffy bite is adorable! My mom wouldn’t let me eat any food off the street when we were in Pak. either. Oh well. I did have coke there which tasted slightly off, but I’ve never had thums up. I wonder how different the products from India are to the products from Pakistan?
Hi,
Gori-Bouma, I do not think you would remember me, from amongst so many of your extended inlaws’family. I happen to be the youngest sister of your Baba. Your dear hubby, calles me Papa(!), as my elder nephew used to chuckle “Papa”, to acknowledge my lullabyes, when he was a little baby. After your Didid was born, she followed the pattern, and so on, your Bhabi, Jijoo, each one of “my”dada’s children continued calling me Papa.
My dada, informed me about this sight, and I was going through with great delight.
We would be happy, if you have carried back nice memories, amongst so much of hum-drums associated with Indian Weddings.
Take care,
With love to both of you
Papa
@ cio_cio_san: Aditya’s coworkers gave him a ribbing for the Coffy Bite thing once they read it here - I thought it was cute too! (And delicious!) I take it you’re familiar with Coffy Bite, then? I have no idea how many products cross the Pakistani-India border, but I haven’t found much difference in what’s available in Indian-owned US stores vs Pakistani-owned US stores.
@ Kaberi/Papa: Of course I remember you from the wedding! Aditya was quick to point out his movie-star Aunt. I had a wonderful time in India, and have carried back a lot of great memories. I’m sure we’ll be back in India in a year or two to visit with you & the rest of the extended family during a less hectic time. 
Hey Gori, I tried Thums Up and Maggi Masala last night. The Thums Up was good, although it didn’t have as much oomph as I thought it would - just a subtle hint of flavor in the aftertaste that distinguished it from Coke (maybe I got a weak batch). It was good though. The Maggi Masala definitely had a kick - I loved it! It’s totally like ramen noodles with some spicy zip. I’m not sure I prepared it correctly though - it said to boil 1 1/2 “tea cups” of water and my interpretation of that didn’t seem to be enough water. I’ll have to keep practicing!
Hi CT, I usually make the Maggi noodles dry, so Im not sure if you wanted it soupy(like ramen noodles are). I like to add lots of veggies to mine so it doesnt feel “quite” as unhealthy. I do like the flavour but I try to have it only rarely.
Since Im revisiting this subject another food I miss from India is the Indian-Chinese food. Love that stuff!
Hi Mirchi, I think it was just that the seasoning was a little overpowering so I thought I hadn’t added enough water. My fiance liked it that way though - with the noodles dry. Adding veggies is a great idea - definitely a way to boost the nutrient levels. It was good - I’m glad I tried it. And another Indian snack food I’ve discovered I love is sev (I *think* that’s what it’s called). My future in-laws gave a bag of it to my parents, and it was truly addictive. It tastes kind of like eating crispy uncooked ramen noodles but has a wonderful spicy flavor. Yum!
And Indian-Chinese food sounds incredibly good! There are a couple of restaurants in my area that serve it but I haven’t had a chance to try it yet. Anything in particular you recommend?
Oh yes, CT, I’m with you on the sev. I’m addicted to sev mamra, myself (sev mixed with spicy puffed rice). I wish I lived in a bigger city so I could get pani puri more often. I am in love with those too.
We have an excellent Indian-Chinese place near us. Vegetable Manchurian is one of my faves. I made it once at home using jarred sauce from the Indian store (”Ching’s Secret Manchurian Sauce”), and although the jarred sauce made it easier, making and pan frying the dumplings was very time-intensive. It’s so yummy, though!
My in-laws put sev on top of uppama to give it a crunch. So good!
I’ve had bad batches of Thums Up in the States before - not sure if they’ve gone flat during transit or what. Happily, Aditya & I found an Indian grocery store down the street this weekend that sells pretty much everything from the subcontinent that one could want. It’s Maggi for lunch today, and Aditya’s already gone through half a dozen bottles of Thums Up.
CT, I always have to stop myself from putting in too much water when I’m cooking Maggi - less water means that the flavor will be stronger (and thus more delicious, at least to me). The goal is to end up with no extra water after the noodles are done soaking it up. My preparation goes: small amount of boiling water, thin slab of butter (I abandoned any notions of healthy a long time ago), spices mixed in, then noodles.
Regarding Indo-Chinese food… well, Aditya and I have also found the greatest Indian buffet in the neighborhood that serves it during weekend lunches (along with a million and one other great dishes). Chilli Chicken is one of his favorite dishes (and a new one of mine), so I’m glad we were able a place that serves it. We really *do* live in the Desi Suburbs. (Mirchi, you should consider moving here!)
I try not to eat sev, ’cause it’s like potato chips for me - can’t stop!
I think I was thrown off because I know what I wasn’t sure what “tea cups” are in terms of measurement. But the batch I made I made had no water left in the pan so I must have done something right.
Okay - gotta try Vegetable Manchurian and Chilli Chicken. Sounds so good! All this talk is making me hungry!
Btw, galaxie - I love pani puri too - it was the first thing I was served when I met M’s family. I love the combo of the liquid and the crispiness. Very tasty!
Gobi(cauliflower) manchurian is my absolute fav. I was also going to recommend chili chicken if you eat nonveg.
OOps I meant to add… the trick is finding a good restaurant here that serves it. Lot of mediocre or below places, kwim?
Where do you live again GG? I should move there. Esp if you have warm weather!!!
TENDER COCONUTS!!
My first visit to India I ate way too many of those. And, the mangoes here don`t compare to mangoes in India. What about the mountain bananas? Supposably they are special bananas - really small looking. They were supposed to have some type of mystical powers and they force fed my 10 month old those bananas the whole time we were there
Mahanadi is a great recipe blog for Indian food lovers. Also, follow the links to other blogs linked there.
One of my favorite cook books not restricted to Indian food is “Silk Road Cooking”. A pictorial journey cum recipe book.
The author has also contributed to the delightful Vegetarian Times magazine.
@Mirchi - we live in the D.C. Metro area, and there are tons of great Indian restaurants and groceries here. We went to a dosa shop a few days ago, and it was soooo good. And it’s certainly warm here - at least now. Gets a bit nippy in the winter though.
@gunduwhitegirl - I must say that I despise the taste of coconuts, so I can’t comment on India’s tender ones. However, I’ll heartily agree about the bananas and mangoes.
@quizman - I read Mahanadi too!
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the Maggi picture looks pretty enticing.