Washington Post columnist disses Indian food as ‘based entirely on one spice’

The column, published by Washington Post described Indian food as “based entirely on one spice”, and can knock off “a vulture off a meat wagon.” It was criticized by celebrity chefs, top diplomats, and people of Indian descent on Twitter.

The column was titled, “You can’t make me eat these foods,” written by Washington Post humor columnist Gene Weingarten. He focuses on various foods he refuses to eat and why.

“If you think Indian curries taste like something that could knock a vulture off a meat wagon, you do not like Indian food. I don’t get it, as a culinary principle,” he added. “It is as though the French passed a law requiring every dish to be slathered in smashed, pureed snails. (I’d personally have no problem with that, but you might, and I would sympathize),” the column read.

Model-television host and Top Chef judge Padma Lakshmi took to Twitter and wrote, “On behalf of 1.3 billion people kindly f**k off.” Saying that he clearly needed “an education on spices, flavor, and taste,”

The tweet garnered a lot of reactions, and many joined in.

 

Later Washington Post updated the column. “A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that Indian cuisine is based on one spice, curry and that Indian food is made up only of curries, types of stew. In fact, India’s vastly diverse cuisines use many spice blends and include many other types of dishes. The article has been corrected.”

Even Weingarten  tweeted an apology, saying he did not mean to be “insulting.” However, people were less than impressed by his defensive approach.