It all started when the Indian food delivery portal Zomato posed a simple question on Twitter. “What’s that one dish you could never understand why people like soo much?”.
It so happened that Edward Anderson, a United Kingdom-based Professor of History and expert in India-Britain studies, took to Tweet and said, “Idli are the most boring things in the world”. The post instantly hussle with South Indians taking to the Twitter platform in attack of Anderson’s poor taste in food as well as Desi culture. One outraged user called Anderson a “clueless white boy”, another informed him of his error by announcing that “whole of South India is united through idli”.
It became more interesting when PM Shashi Tharoor also joined the debate. Tharoor wrote, “Civilisation is hard to acquire: the taste & refinement to appreciate idlis, enjoy cricket, or watch ottamthullal is not given to every mortal. Take pity on this poor man, for he may never know what Life can be”.
Yes, my son, there are some who are truly challenged in this world. Civilisation is hard to acquire: the taste & refinement to appreciate idlis, enjoy cricket, or watch ottamthullal is not given to every mortal. Take pity on this poor man, for he may never know what Life can be. https://t.co/M0rEfAU3V3
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) October 7, 2020
The outrage was too much for Anderson and he took out an explanation for his dismissal of the characteristic powdered-rice cakes so dear to South Indians. Anderson wrote, “Before the whole of south India attacks me, can I just say that I love dosa and appam and basically all south Indian food. But idli (and puttu for that matter) are insufferable.” He also informed that his in-laws were from Kerala, perhaps hoping it would help him win against the “idli-defenders”.
Having accidentally enraged the entirety of South India (and its omnipresent diaspora) on twitter, it was only right to order idlis for lunch. I'm very sorry to report that my unpopular – or "blasphemous", as some have said – opinion remains unchanged. #sorrynotsorry https://t.co/qx2VRJw6EO pic.twitter.com/TmIvxNWaYx
— Edward Anderson (@edanderson101) October 7, 2020
Anderson went ahead to himself order idli that very day and eat it while sharing the entire experience on Twitter. “Having accidentally enraged the entirety of South India (and its omnipresent diaspora) on twitter, it was only right to order idlis for lunch,” the Professor wrote. His opinion on idli, however, remained unchanged.
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