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Showing posts from September, 2026

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Why Does Food Taste Better When Someone Else Cooks It? | Food Science

Posted by Neerja Bhatnagar on September 27, 2026

cooking Food and Memory Food Psychology Food Science Food Stories home cooking Indian Food Petpuja Taste and Flavour

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BRICS 2026: What Did the World Leaders Eat in Delhi?

Posted by Neerja Bhatnagar on September 15, 2026

BRICS 2026 BRICS Summit culinary diplomacy Delhi Delhi food food culture Indian cuisine Indian Food millet recipes regional Indian food

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Why Does Restaurant Paneer Taste Different From Homemade Paneer?

Posted by Neerja Bhatnagar on September 01, 2026

Food Science Indian Food Indian restaurants paneer paneer recipes Petpuja restaurant food restaurant paneer restaurant secrets The Restaurant Files

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FOOD ITEMS FROM "Q"

"Q" is an alphabet, not many food items start with. I would like to recorrect this - not many Indian food items start from "Q". Anyway, now, as they say, the world is shrinking (literally and metaphorically too), so let us take food items from Q, irrespective of their origins. Before listing the other food items, I will share what comes to my mind with Q - this one is everybody's favourite - Quaker's oats. Quaker is a popular brand that produces many healthy(?) breakfast options. The other is Quesadilla is a Mexican Pic Wikipedia dish made with a tortilla filled with cheese and other fillings. There is a post in my blog about it. Please do check here . It has an Indian cousin invented by Indian mothers made with the available leftover roti and sabzi. :) Even Quinoa (pronounced as k iː n . w ɑ) is something we have recently introduced to. When I read about it and searched online, I found it very expensive. But to my Pic : Wikipedia surprise, I went to...

Why Does Food Taste Better When Someone Else Cooks It? | Food Science

Have you ever noticed that? You can cook the same dal, using the same lentils, the same spices and almost the same amount of oil. Yet somehow, when your mother, friend or anyone else makes it, it tastes different. Perhaps even better. And it isn't necessarily because she has a secret ingredient hidden somewhere in the kitchen. Sometimes, food really does seem to taste better when someone else cooks it. But why? Is it the food? Is it the cook? Or is our brain playing a little trick on us? As it turns out, the answer lies somewhere between food science, our senses, memory and psychology. AI image We Don't Taste Food With Our Tongue Alone We often think taste happens on the tongue. Sweet, salty, sour, bitter and umami are detected by our taste receptors. But what we experience as "flavour" is much more complicated. Our brain combines information from: Taste, Smell, Texture, Temperature, Appearance, Sound, and expectations....

Why Does Milk Curdle? The Science Behind Paneer & Curd

AI Image Why Does Milk Curdle? The Science Behind Paneer, Curd and That Ruined Cup of Tea Have you ever poured milk into a hot cup of tea, only to watch it suddenly separate into tiny white lumps? Or added lemon juice to hot milk and watched it transform into curds and whey? The first reaction is usually: "Oh no! The milk has curdled." But here's the fascinating part: curdling isn't always a bad thing. In fact, some of India's most loved foods—including paneer and chhena—depend on this very process. So what actually happens when milk curdles? Why does lemon juice make paneer? Why does milk sometimes split in tea or tomato-based gravies? And how can we prevent unwanted curdling? Let's look at the food science behind this everyday kitchen mystery. What Is Milk Made Of? Milk may look simple, but chemically it is a remarkably complex food. It contains: Water Milk fat Lactose, the natural milk sugar Minerals Whey proteins Casein proteins Casein is particularly...

Why Do We Eat More When There Are More Choices?

AI Image Have you ever gone to a buffet telling yourself, “I won't eat much today” , only to return to your table carrying a plate that seems to have acquired a life of its own? A little salad. Some soup. A spoonful of paneer. A little pulao. One vegetable. Then something fried because, well, it is there. Perhaps some noodles, a piece of bread, a curry you don't usually eat, and finally that tiny portion of dessert that somehow becomes three different desserts. You weren't necessarily hungrier than usual. There was simply too much choice . And that is where things get interesting. A buffet does something rather clever to our appetite. When we are presented with many different foods, we tend to eat more than we might if we were offered just one or two dishes. It isn't simply a matter of greed or lack of willpower. Our brains are responding to variety, novelty, appearance, expectation and the opportunity to keep discovering something different . So why does a buffet mak...

Tripura Queen Pineapple: The GI-Tagged Royal Fruit Winning Global Recognition

AI image A Sweet Memory from Childhood Before I tell you about Tripura's famous Queen Pineapple, let me share a small childhood memory. Growing up in Hisar, Haryana, we did not see pineapple very often. In those days, transportation networks were limited, and most towns depended largely on locally grown fruits and vegetables. Seasonal produce arrived in abundance, but exotic fruits were occasional treats. Every summer vacation, we would travel to Delhi to spend time at my nani's house. I still remember how excited I would be when my mausi, Kusum Aunty, sometimes brought home a pineapple. It felt special, almost luxurious. The fruit was carefully sliced and shared among everyone. What I loved most was its unique taste—sweet, yet pleasantly tangy. In fact, I remember it being more tangy than sweet! As the years passed, India’s transportation and supply chains improved dramatically. Pineapples gradually became available in Hisar as well, though nowhere near as abundantly as they a...

Why Does Rice Become Sticky? The Science Behind Rice Texture

AI Image Why Does Rice Become Sticky? The Science Behind Rice Texture You put rice on the stove expecting separate, fluffy grains. Instead, you open the lid and find them clinging together in a soft, sticky mass. Why does this happen? Is it too much water? The type of rice? Overcooking? Washing—or not washing—the rice properly? The answer lies mainly in starch , but starch doesn't work alone. The variety of rice, amount of water, temperature, cooking time and cooking method all influence the final texture. And this is particularly interesting in Indian kitchens, where the same family may use aromatic Basmati for biryani, Sona Masuri for everyday meals and Sella rice for certain biryanis. So let's look at what is really happening inside those little grains. The Main Reason Rice Becomes Sticky: Starch Rice contains starch, and starch is primarily made up of two types of molecules: Amylose and amylopectin. Their proportions have a major influence on the texture of cooked rice. Amy...

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