“I don,t think necessity is the mother of invention. Invention, in my opinion, arises from idleness, possibly also from laziness- to save oneself trouble.”- By Agatha Christie.
The year 2020 is a perfect example of the fact that life is unpredictable. Who would have thought a small viral infection would keep the entire world under lockdown? It feels like a nightmare. A 24*7 stay at home for people has been quite difficult to cope up. A short family vacation plan to the hotels nearby has been postponed. The holiday destinations for couples have become deserted. A quick trip to the grocery store demands to wear a mouth mask and heaps of sanitizer. But human beings are peculiar species. They get ideas to make themselves engaged and do something productive during this lockdown. Where some think this is a perfect time to nourish their hobbies, some are busy acquiring new skills. Slowly, social media is flooded with many innovative activities while staying at home. Cooking has come out as one of the prime activities. Cook, bake, grill, fry, and boil has become a daily mantra. Everyone is exploring their inner chefs and are bombarding social media with beautiful food photographs. There are a few dishes which have attracted everyone’s attention. With unique hashtags, Instagram challenges, and filters, they have become viral in a short period. Let us look into the top 10 viral food during this pandemic.
1-DALGONA COFFEE
During this lockdown, the coffee lovers miss the frothy and creamy coffee of the famous cafes and hotels nearby. To create a splendid cup of delicious coffee, they started whipping the instant coffee with some sugar and hot water and then adding it into cold or hot milk. The whipped up coffee would look like a dollop of velvety and sweet cream over white milk. The appearance of Dalgona coffee attracted many to try it at home. This beverage became so popular during the COVID19 pandemic that it has been named as the “Quarantine drink”. Commonly made in South Korea, this drink traveled all around the world through social media challenge called #dalgonacoffeechallenge. The name “Dalgona” is derived from a South Korean sweet (Korean honeycomb), which tastes exactly like this coffee and the name is coined by famous South Korean actor Jung II-Woo.
2-BANANA & WALNUT WHOLE WHEAT CAKE
Any breakfast buffet at a high-end hotel at Delhi, or a hotel at Mumbai , there has to be a section of delicious banana walnut cake at the center. A slice of whole wheat banana walnut cake is the ultimate sweet indulgence after every meal. With just a few ingredients, it has become one of the most popular items to make during this quarantine. With the limited grocery supplies, people want to eat something good to elevate their mood. Hence, the recipe for the banana walnut cake comes into the forefront. Baking is always been considered one of the stress-free activities to do. Just some ripe bananas, sugar, walnut, eggs, vegetable oil, whole wheat, baking powder, and wallah, it’s done! The recipe has also been shared by many film stars and celebrities during this shut down for weight watchers.
3- RASGULLA
Whether it is soft cardamom rich “Pahala Rasgulla” of Odisha or soft spongy “Rosogulla” of Kolkata, this sweet is the ultimate favorite of everyone out there. Any date with your partner to a nearby hotel is not complete without a bowl of delicious Rasgullas. Though many hotels in Kolkata and Odisha are experts in serving the best of Rasgullas, this pandemic calls for social distancing. Hence, making it at home is the only option. The recipe demands milk, semolina, sugar, and water. Social media is flooded with photographs of Rasgullas with different variations like saffron, nuts, and jaggery. Even the baked version for the weight watchers is something to look up to.
4-BIRYANI
Biryani is the most loved and searched dish on the internet. Talk of the famous Hyderabadi biryani brings out the foodie in everyone. Going for a food trip with your partner and staying at a couple-friendly hotel at Hyderabad just for the famous Biryani is definitely worth the time and money. Many food bloggers are posting photographs of different types of biryani and this is what forces the people to cook a tasty bowl of biryani during this lockdown. Though the dish demands a variety of ingredients, the enthusiasm of the lockdown chefs makes the dish see the light of the day. The weekend during the lockdown is celebrated with a bowl of home-cooked delicious Biryani and Raita on the side. By this, the people have started to relieve some normal moments between all the chaoses.
5- PANIPURI
Panipuri, Golgappa, Paani Batasha, Puchka, Gupchup, the names are many but the feeling is the same. A leisure visit to Kolkata for a couple of days and staying at a hotel just to taste panipuri is worth an experience. Making this tangy, spicy, crunchy and delicious street food is indeed a herculean task. The recipe is the most searched one on youtube during this time. The mixing of the semolina and wheat flour in proper proportion to make puffed up puris needs some expertise. But, that has not stopped our people to give it a try. Including the perfectly made puris and potato stuffing, they are making 2-3 variants of tangy water.
Getting yourself indulged in some cooking and baking is one of the best things to do during this Pandemic. The privileged have all the resources to make a good meal, but what about the underprivileged. It is indeed a pleasure to get into new innovative cooking habits to wary down the negativity but we should be able to provide some part of our resources to the underprivileged as well. Sharing and caring with social distancing is the key to survive this pandemic. There is no other joy than sharing these top 5 viral dishes with our loved ones and the people around us.
“Food, in the end, in our tradition, is something holy. It is not about nutrients and calories, it is about sharing, it’s about honesty, and it’s about identity.” – Louise Fresco
Post-corona, there will come a day where we will travel to different places for leisure, fun and for work. The time will come where everyone will spend long vacations with their loved ones at a resort or hotel nearby. But till then keep cooking these dishes at home and stay safe