A Panda in Pune!: 7/6

Lufthansa finally shipped my luggage to the Pune airport!!!

I finally got to change out of the clothing I have been wearing since last Thursday. Unfortunately, I had to skip my first work day in order to retrieve it.

Feeling relieved is quite the understatement.

Since I did not really get a chance to do anything today, let me take some time to talk about the cuisine:

As mentioned in the previous post, the majority of people in Pune are vegetarian. Vegetarian restaurants are literally everywhere in Pune, and many food products have a green circle label on them denoting them as vegetarian-friendly. However, that is not to say the food here is strictly reduced to grains, fruits, and vegetables.

The most common proteins consumed in Pune are chicken, lamb, & fish. Beef & pork are far less available due to Hindu & Muslim religious practices. In fact, beef was recently banned after the Maharashtra Animal Preservation Bill (created in 1995) finally was approved by the president in early 2015.

I was surprised to find many Chinese & American (KFC, McDonalds, Subway, Dominoes) restaurants as well during our drives.

Almost all of our meals, sans breakfast, follows the same general outline: chapati (similar to roti, a type of flatbread used for dipping), an assortment of mixed vegetables (tomatoes, okra, cauliflower) seasoned with spices such as cumin, and a more saucy dish with a pulse base (dal) for the dipping.

For those reading, I am sure you are curious as to whether or not the cuisine here delicious. I can only say this:

You want this. Yes, you do.