Sari, I didn't quite catch that?

So, being in India and talking to many people, I have learned that food varies greatly from state to state. I have several “guides” for the variations between regions for when I travel. Comparing to “back home”…just think of crossing the NC border into SC, and imagine you found a whole new world of food there, potentially unrecognizable? But here, there are more extreme food silos between the states, that make crossing state lines feel as if you are entering another country (and often, even within the same state, small communities prepare items completely differently). People from one state talk about the way other states prepare the same dish, only to make it completely different. The one thing this entire sub-continent of India has in common, however, is…you can be sure that there will be something spicy presented to you during your day…on your plate…in the buffet line…it is there, in the back of the mind of that Indian cook or chef as he cuts open that first chili of the day! Since I love spicy food, this has been a great experience food-wise. Today I went to a breakfast buffet and one item I chose was a kind of rice. You are never sure how spicy something will be, as the hot chilis here are green and yet there are also the chili powder spices that are red/orange. If you see a combo of both, you know you are in for a “hole in the tongue” experience. Well, this rice was almost a fluorescent orange. When I opened the chafing dish, it practically glowed. As I was eating this spicy rice, the waiter came over to ask how things were, and I told him how much I liked the rice. This was the conversation.

Me: “I really love this rice. What is it called?”
Waiter: “Your rice is cold?”

He looks distressed and ready to FIX THIS. I think “Oh no!”. I re-assured him it was hot, no problems here, and just looking for the “name”. haha So, the neat experience that I had with this rice, was, that I ate a bite of this, and a bite of a chocolate croissant, and then a sip of cappuccino, and it made the cappuccino amazingly spicy and sweet. Best cappuccino I think I have ever had. Never would have thought that rice could make a cappuccino so good!