I have always believed that papad unites India. Gujaratis like myself will not eat rice unless we have papad to eat with it. Sindhis are known for their papad. The fried papads of South India are justly famous for their flavour and their texture.
But papad also unites India and the UK. The Brits call it poppadom (with various different spellings) a corruption of the South Indian name. Way back in the 1970s, my father used to joke that soon, a typical English meal would consist of curry and rice with crushed pappadom sprinkled on it. I was only a child at the time and thought this was ridiculous, but now I think the old boy may have had a point.
One measure of how much poppadoms have been embraced by British popular culture is that they are often used for racial abuse. There has been criticism of a hit song called the Poppadom Song which, it is alleged, promotes racial stereotyping. (But not as much as it promotes crap music.)
For Brits, their poppadom (as distinct from our papad) is an all-day, anytime snack. They make it in all kinds of sizes. And one popular version (industrially produced and ready-to-eat) is made by Walkers, the company most famous for its potato crisps (what we call wafers). It is made in the same size and sold in the same kind of packet.
This is not surprising because a British poppadom, it now turns out is - hold your breath! actually a potato crisp.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Let's tri all the angles
BFFs falling for the same girl, kidnap twists, murders, bromances. These 10 three-way love stories play with geometry and our feelings
Should you Q up for this?
Audi's luxury SUV, the Q8, has had a refresh. But a sleeker grille and headlight tech don't make up for what's still missing
How to plan a great escape
It's getting colder. It's already hard to breathe. Why not plan a winter vacation that's a world away but not too far away?
Kababs, yes, but khandvi too
Mughlai cuisine has as many vegetarian dishes as meaty ones. A new translation of a 16th century manuscript shows how we ate, and why modern labels are pointless
I can be your hero
Gurfateh Pirzada, only afewroles old, is the green flag we didn't know we needed. He's learning from women. He wants to be more thana lover and a fighter. He's hoping we all do better. No wonder everyone's crushing on him
Meet the export experts
Khadi crop-tops in Spain, faux-leather hoodies in London, fairytale wedding gowns in the UAE. See how some desi labels are killing it on foreign shores
Why we're all feeling Blue
Coco Mellors's new novel is about grief, sisterhood, and of course, addiction and unlikeable women. How does she make it work?
This week, we're...
Changing the momo game, listening to kids, starting a new business, and supporting pro waxxers
Rohit Chawla
Photographer, artist, @RohitChawlaPhotography_
Congratulations, it's a goal
Lakeside vows, pastel palettes, bayous, backyards and boats. These celeb weddings are what modern fairytales are made of