Discover Taste of India: South Indian Food

The southern part of India has hot, humid climate and all its states are coastal. Rainfall is abundant and so is the supply of fresh fruit, vegetables and rice. The cuisine is mostly vegetarian, but innovative preparations of sea food can be found too. Famous for its wonderful mixing of rice and lentils to prepare lip smacking items, South Indian dishes are not just delicious, but also very easily to digest. In any city in our country, one can find a South Indian food outlet.

For someone who is not aware of the wide variety of the South Indian cuisine, the food from this region is all about

Dosas, Idlis, Vadas, Uttapams, Coconut Chutney, Rasam and Sambhar. Surprise awaits him in a South Indian menu card: the types of Dosas in theirselves have a number of variations!!

Some items characterize the South Indian platter: Shredded coconut, coconut oil, rice, daal, tamarind, curry leaves, dried chillis, mustard seeds, fenugreek, etc. But on a closer look, one would notice wide diversity across regions. The staple cereal of Karnataka is jowar and bajra. Majority of the residents are vegetarian, so is the cuisine. Curd is almost mandatory in every meal of Karnataka. While the preparations of Karnataka are in the Udupi style with gravies, drier preparations are more common in Kerala. Since coconut is the main produce of Kerala, use of the fruit in its natural form as well as derived forms is very popular. Also predominant is the consumption of sea food.

The cuisine of Andhra Pradesh is spicier, with thicker gravies. Different types of pickles and chutneys are typical of this region. Bisi bele bhaat and the biriyani of Hyderabad cooked in the style of Nizams during the Mughal rule are famous all over India. Tamil Nadu is best described as a mix of all these regions. The dishes are hot and pungent with fresh ground masalas. Chettinad style of non vegetarian cooking is famous from this state. Also famous are different rices (tamarind rice, lemon rice, curd rice,etc), appams, papads, banana chips and the South Indian’s love for filter coffee.

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Discover Taste of India: East Indian Food

East Indians are foodies to the core, which is reflected in their culinary habits. The cuisine is simple, but the variety of food is immense. The popular menu consists of both vegetarian and non vegetarian food. The staple food is mainly rice and wheat, due to the agrarian economy.

West Bengal is famous for the love of fish and sweets. Mainly rice eaters, the people of this state prefer simple and light food. Green vegetables and lentils are part of the daily diet. With presence of ponds sprinkled all over the state and proximity to the sea, fish is available in abundance. Fish is included in at least one meal of most Bengalis. Crabs, prawns and lobsters are popular too. Fried items are popular as snacks. Mustard Oil is the preferred cooking medium. Mustard paste, posto (poppy seeds), red chillis, coconut are favourite ingredients. The Bengalis often experiment with styles from other states as well.

Orrisa as well as Bihar and Jharkhand (previously one state) share the love of fish and other non vegetarian items. The cuisine of Orissa is influenced by its neighbouring states, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal. Coconut milk and curd are popular ingredients of cooking. Dalma, a preparation of lentil with a lot of vegetables is one of the unique preparations of this region. Dishes and drinks made out of sattu (gram flour) and besan are characteristic of the Bihar Zone. Also, Biharis prefer spicy preparations. The food habits of the tribals of Bihar are famous for mahua flour, maize and other indigenous foods.

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Solve the Puzzle of Meal Plan

Meal plan or hotel plan is a plan and a room rate for providing a room and meals to guests at a hotel. It is very important for travelers to check the room or property rate after consider the meal plan. Most of the time, travelers compare different properties rates without looking at meal plan. Universally, there are four types of meal plan: American, Modified American, Continental and European.

Meal Plan	Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner
The American Plan	Yes	Yes	Yes
The Modified American Plan	Yes	Yes
The Continental Plan	Yes	No	No
The European	No	No	No

The American Plan (also listed as “AP”) means that the quoted rate includes three meals a day, i. e. breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The meals are provided by the hotel kitchen. Mostly, hotels in a remote location where there are not many restaurants — or none at all — need to stay at a hotel that offers an American plan.

The Modified American Plan (also listed as “MAP”) means that the quoted rate includes two meals a day, including breakfast and either lunch or dinner. Travelers choosing a hotel in a remote location where there are not many restaurants — or none at all — need to stay at a hotel that offers at least a Modified American plan.

The Continental Plan (also listed as “CP”), means that the quoted rate includes a continental breakfast, which is consists of coffee or tea, juice, and bread. Travelers can have different options of bread like loaf, croissants, scones, and muffins. The breakfast does not include cooked foods, such as pancakes or eggs. Breakfast is self-serve and a waiter will be available to pour and refill beverages.

The European Plan (also listed as “EP”), means that the quoted rate does not include any meals and is strictly for lodging and. The property owner will charge for the food separately. The advantage is that travelers is free to try a variety of restaurant experiences, and can often save money by eating at establishments that charge less.

There are some new meal plan which are popular these days:

Jungle Plan (JP) - All Meals (Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner) and Jungle Safari (Elephant & Jeep Safari whichever is applicable).

Rafting Plan (RF) - All Meals (Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner) and river rafting for the day.

Thus, next time before making any booking, ensure that you get the best deal!!!

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Eco or Green Tourism is a New Mantra

Go Green is new Mantra. All over the world, people are becoming increasingly consciousness about the environment and the need to do something to preserve it. As a result now we see eco-friendly cars, fuels and even games! India hosted the world’s first green Common Wealth Games.

Today, the tourism industry, with an annual growth rate of 10-15%, is turning out to be the world’s biggest and the hottest industry. India’s share in this pie is also increasing as it fast emerges as a global tourist destination with a rich cultural heritage and scenic locations.

Like in other areas, in tourism too the idea of Green or Eco Tourism is becoming popular. Green tourism refers to responsible travel to areas that preserve nature and improve the well being of the local people. Negative impact on the environmental is minimal and efforts are made to encourage wildlife in their natural habitats. Ethical issues that have to be dealt with in green tourism are usually social injustice, human rights, animal rights and of course the environment. Infact issues relating to land and other natural resources are one of the major conflicting ethical issues.

Since tourism is an industry that involves huge amount of money and rapid growth, often, the well-being of the local people of such tourist places gets compromised. For example, in India, women in Rajasthanhave to walk for miles to fetch water, but the tourist spots in desert lands also have water in abundance. Farmers in Indonesia have been punished and murdered for protesting against development of tourist destination while in Mexico, farmers have been forced to give up their land for the development of golf courses. Green tourism does not only mean being responsible while traveling, but also requires one to act responsibly while choosing a place of visit. Green tourism all though protects environment but in many cases ends up harming the local population.

Just like a coin, green tourism also has two sides. On the one hand it protects the environment and is an eco-friendly way to travel but on the other hand it sometimes hurts things more important than environment and just like everything else in the world, it is important to strike a balance between the positive and negative effects of green tourism.

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