Deceptive Juice and Fishy Delicacies (Food Experiments, Part 2)
Deceptive Juice and Fishy Delicacies (Food Experiments, Part 2)
- Posted by Colleen
- On May 17, 2022
- Comments
- 5
At a popular local fish restaurant I experienced unexpected flavors–some good, and some not so good.
I was accompanied by my faculty host who took the liberty of ordering for us (not in a “And the lady will have…” kind of way but in a helpful “I’m taking pity on you because I know you don’t know fish dishes in India” kind of way).
First came the kokum fruit beverage, served before the meal in a small metal cup.
“Try it,” my host said, pushing the miniature drink across the table toward me. “It’s good. Helps with digestion.” And the look of it was deceptively inviting.
Guessing from the color alone, it could have been watermelon juice (which is commonly served here at breakfast) or perhaps cranberry juice. I learned afterward that it was juice made from kokum fruit, which I’m told is quite tasty on its own.
This little concoction, however, was the fruit syrup cooked with an uninviting (to my tastebuds, anyway) array of ingredients which I later learned included sichuan pepper, chillies, sugar, a dash of salt, and . . . (wait for it) . . . crushed garlic. I don’t even know how to describe it really, but the closest thing I can think of might be if you mixed watermelon juice with dill pickle juice? YUM.
Later I did some internet sleuthing into its alleged health benefits and noticed it described by one website (among many touting its benefits) as “a great beverage to serve to your guests visiting you on a hot day.”
To this I would add: Absolutely, but only if you don’t want the guests to come back!
Next up was the Bombay Duck appetizer.
But it’s important to note that this isn’t duck at all, it’s fish. Apparently of the “lizardfish” variety, which I did not know existed until now. (For the inquisitive souls among us, there’s an interesting BBC article on this here).
Apparently this lizardfish is so offensive smelling that it is sometimes prepared in a sealed container of some sort to avoid . . . I’m not sure, maybe making people pass out? At any rate, it tasted just fine. But then, it was also battered and deep fried.
Verdict: I’d eat it again. Probably.
The main dish was surmai (also called seer fish and king fish in different parts of India).
It came in the form of two steaks layered on top of one another with a layer of spices (coriander, mint, etc) in between and coated in a paste of masala spices. (You can see the layers better in the cover image at the top of this post).
It was delicious!
I couldn’t find a recipe for this online, so I suppose I’ll have to enjoy it while I’m here . . .
On to the next food adventure!
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