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Indian Express
28-04-2025
- General
- Indian Express
Why Tamil Nadu banned mayonnaise, and its strange Madras connection
You've probably heard that Tamil Nadu has banned mayonnaise made using raw eggs, because it is giving people a stomach bug. What you probably don't know is that there is a close relationship between Madras – the old name for Chennai – and mayonnaise. The two came together in 1953, thanks to a luncheon held at the Great Hall at Westminster School in London for Queen Elizabeth II. It was to honour her coronation later that year. The task of feeding the Queen and some 350 international dignitaries fell on Constance Spry and Rosemary Hume, the principals of the London branch of the prestigious French cookery school, Le Cordon Bleu. Among the various Frenchified delicacies served at the luncheon, one stood out. It was a chicken salad that Spry and Hume christened 'Poulet Reine Elizabeth'. What was unique about it was that it was held together with a mixture of thick mayonnaise and Madras Curry Powder. Okay, the Madras Curry Powder bit is probably untrue. What is true, though, is that Poulet Reine Elizabeth, later known as Coronation Chicken, spread like wild spicy fire across pubs and restaurants in London, where Madras Curry Powder was the most commonly used spice blend. Indeed, across the pond, in the US, delis began selling a Coronation Chicken-style salad and called it Madras Chicken Salad, or a Madras Curry Chicken Salad. Its main ingredients were smoked chicken, tomato ketchup, apricots, raisins, spring onions, coriander leaves, and mayonnaise laced with Madras Curry Powder. It might not be that popular anymore, but you can still find the recipe on the interwebs and YouTube. Mayo, on its own, has been around for centuries. One story says it derives its name from Port Mahon, in the island of Menorca in Spain, which was captured by the French from the British in 1756. The French chefs ran short of cream for their sauces and devised a way to mimic it by whisking together egg yolks and oil. The resulting sauce came to be known as ' mahonnaise,' and later as 'mayonnaise.' Other origin stories locate it in the French town of Bayonne, where the egg and oil emulsion was supposedly first created. From Bayonne came ' bayonnaise ', which gradually morphed into mayonnaise. Another French theory is that the term comes from ' moyen ', an old French word for egg yolk – hence moyennaise, and then mayonnaise. The mayonnaise in India In India, mayo was mostly eaten by the Westernised elites, in colonial clubs and their post-independence copycat restaurants. Its ubiquitous presence in street food is something entirely new. Now, every hawker has a bottle of mayonnaise, which they squeeze over anything and everything – from sandwich and kathi roll filling, to veg momo and paneer tikka. In the northern states, where eateries have to cater to vegetarians, the mayo served is almost always eggless. In the South, where eating eggs is much more common, the roadside mayonnaise is likely to be an original recipe, using raw egg yolks, or even entire raw eggs. That, as any food scientist will tell you, is a recipe for disaster in hot climates. Eggs can carry Salmonella bacteria, which can cause stomach infections, resulting in diarrhoea, fever, and dehydration. In extreme cases, patients might even have to be hospitalised. Salmonella is killed when eggs are heated beyond 160°f for 30 seconds. The other way to make them safe to eat is to pasteurise them by holding eggs at 140- 145°f for three-and-a-half minutes. Neither of these is done in traditional mayonnaise recipes. So, when a raw egg-based mayo is kept on the countertop next to a stove, out in the hot sun, it acts as a day on the beach for bacteria of all kinds. They multiply and contaminate every food item that has been blessed with a shower of mayo. In fact, traditional recipes for homemade mayonnaise, meant for Western home cooks, stipulate that it should be refrigerated and consumed within a week. Even in colder climes, mayonnaise is considered a delicate, slightly risky condiment. Then why use raw egg yolks at all? The reason is that yolks contain an emulsifier called egg lecithin. It is made of molecules having a fat-attracting tail and a water-attracting head. When an emulsifier is added to oil and water, which would normally not mix, the tails hold onto fat droplets, and the heads attach themselves to water droplets. This is how an emulsifier, like a lecithin, holds oil and water droplets together to create a smooth, creamy emulsion. At the same time, the heads repel the fat droplets, keeping them apart, so that they don't separate into large masses of fat, and stay evenly suspended in the water base. In the case of mayonnaise, the egg yolk holds together vinegar and oil when all three are whisked together. The method is to first slowly emulsify the oil by whisking it into the egg yolk, drop by drop. According to the celebrated chef, Heston Blumenthal, one egg yolk can emulsify two kilograms of oil, but a standard recipe uses one yolk for every 115-150 grams (125-165 ml) of oil. Commercially sold eggless, or vegan, mayonnaise usually contains soy lecithin, the most commonly used vegetarian emulsifier. You will find it in chocolates, ice cream, sliced bread, biscuits, and hundreds of other packaged foods sold in India. It is often mentioned in the ingredients as E 322 and INS 4150. Soy lecithin (or lecithins of sunflower seeds) works in the same way as egg yolks do in traditional mayo recipes. However, anyone who has tasted both kinds of mayonnaise will agree that the vegan 'eggless' mayos lack the rich umami flavours and the mouthfeel of a true egg yolk-based mayonnaise. But there can be no doubt that eggless mayonnaise is much safer to use in hot climates. Here are two easy recipes – one for traditional egg-based mayo, and the other eggless. The eggless mayonnaise uses soya milk, which has a small amount of soy lecithin. The egg-based mayo can be easily made with a normal balloon whisk. You will need a mixer-grinder or a hand-held stick blender to make the eggless mayo, because it needs much higher levels of whisking power. Method: · Place the egg yolks in a large bowl and mix in the mustard sauce. · Use a balloon whisk to slowly whisk in the oil drop by drop. · Once you have added 80-100 ml of the oil and the mixture has thickened, add the remaining oil in a slow steady stream while whisking it constantly. · Once all the oil has been incorporated, whisk in the vinegar. · Add the salt and red chilli powder (if using) and mix well. · Taste and adjust the seasoning. · Remove the mayonnaise into an airtight container and refrigerate. · Use within 5-7 days. Method: · Chill the soya milk, vinegar, and oil for at least an hour. You can keep the oil in the freezer to make it as cold as possible. · Pour the soya milk, vinegar, and mustard sauce in the tall container of a hand-blender or in a mixer jar. Mix well till the ingredients have blended together. · Now gradually add the oil, drop by drop, and blend. If you are using a mixer-grinder, then mix the oil in short bursts. · Once one-third of the oil has got incorporated, you can pour the rest in a steady thin stream, while continuously mixing with the hand blender. · If you are using a mixer-grinder, give one-minute breaks after every minute of blending, so that the emulsion doesn't heat up too much. · Keep blending till the mayonnaise reaches a 'soft peak' stage. Do not overbeat, otherwise the mayonnaise will break and curdle. · Set aside for an hour. Then remove to an airtight container and refrigerate.
Telegraph
28-02-2025
- Telegraph
The perfect weekend in Buenos Aires, the Paris of the South
Paris of the South, Tangopolis, Queen of the Plate, City of Fury – and World's Backside: popular nicknames capture the nostalgia, aspirations and ambivalences of Buenos Aires. Its name actually refers to the 'fair winds' that brought the first conquistadors here in the 16th century. The Argentinian capital's maritime roots are still celebrated in the local word for its residents: porteños, or 'port people'. Most of them are of mixed heritage and their city is a beguiling conflation of historic Atlantic outpost and contemporary Latin American sprawl. BA – as expats like to call it – was once the capital of one of the world's wealthiest nations. Its Frenchified and Italianate buildings, graceful plazas and cultural life are the envy of Old World cities, not to mention Chilean and Brazilian urbanites. More than 14 million people live in the vast metropolitan area of Greater BA, its suburbs fanning out into the surrounding pampas. But – fortunately for visitors – sights and museums, gastronomy, arts and nightlife venues are concentrated in a few central neighbourhoods or barrios. Palermo has jacaranda-perfumed parks, trendy bars and independent boutiques. Recoleta is home to old money, grand hotels and a grandiose necropolis. Puerto Madero is great for dockside strolls and has a nature reserve. San Telmo is old Buenos Aires, ideal for a steak dinner and a tango show. Artsy Avenida Corrientes 'never sleeps'. But, actually, all of Buenos Aires is insomniacal – for sheer hedonism, few cities come close. The streets are laid out on a grid-pattern so navigating is easy. And despite the heavy traffic and all the buses that race one another down the main thoroughfares, BA is a walkable city. If an avenue is throbbing – the evening rush hour can be manic – it's always possible to find a parallel street that's much quieter. There are plazas, bars and cafés, shops and restaurants dotted all over and museums and galleries are spread around, making it easy to plot an outing around cultural pitstops. Most travellers spend time in BA before or after a holiday in Patagonia, Salta or the Iguazú Falls. Two days is the absolute minimum needed to get a taste of the city. Locals are friendly and often speak English fluently. Tourism has grown in recent years but BA's relative isolation means there are none of the crowds you get in the major European capitals. Buenos Aires has a special vibe and an addictive quality, and is still a city that feels undiscovered – let the sunshine and fair winds direct you around it, but use our guide to get you started. For more Buenos Aires inspiration, see our guides to the city's best hotels, restaurants, bars and attractions. In this guide How to spend your weekend Day one: morning Start your day at Parque Lezama, a green park on a low bluff in the San Telmo district. This is probably where the city was first declared in 1536, and there's a monument to the founding conquistador Pedro de Mendoza. The scheme failed and Mendoza died on the voyage home to Spain, but BA was refounded successfully in 1580. The park is home to the atmospheric Museo Histórico Nacional, which occupies a handsome mansion that mixes Spanish colonial and 19th-century Italian styles. On display are paintings, busts, flags, weapons and uniforms as well as everyday objects from the 19th century. Grab a coffee at Bar Británico on the corner opposite the Mendoza monument. It's one of BA's lovely old 'bares notables' – establishments recognised for their antiquity and/or architecture – and features in our 50 greatest cafés in the world. Afterwards, head north down Defensa – a street that will take you all the way to the Plaza de Mayo, passing several old churches, the Plaza Dorrego and a gauntlet of antiques stores. BA public art museums are an enjoyable and affordable way to explore its recent history and culture. On Avenida San Juan, one of the cross-streets off Defensa, are the Museo de Arte Moderno and, right next door, the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo, both of which host permanent and changing shows. The Plaza de Mayo is the civic heart of Argentina, site of celebrations, protests, speeches, skirmishes and coups d'état. One side is occupied by the Casa Rosada – the pink-washed presidential palace. Opposite is the colonial-era Cabildo or town hall. The metropolitan cathedral is also on the plaza. A block to the south along Bolívar is the Manzana de las Luces (generally translated somewhat clumsily as Block of Enlightenment). This is where the Jesuits had their HQ and church in the 18th century and is also the site of BA's most prestigious state-run school, the Colegio Nacional de Buenos Aires. You can go on a guided tour of the Manzana. For lunch, head to Bar El Federal, another 'bar notable'. Opened in 1864, it's full of ancient signage, gorgeous wood fixtures and a bar topped by a Tiffany arch. Have a platter of cold cuts and olives, with a beer or glass of wine. Afternoon Continue your walk heading west to the Plaza del Congreso along the Avenida de Mayo – which has wide pavements and is sometimes compared to Madrid's Gran Vía – to picture the glory days of early 20th century. En route, you'll pass the Café Tortoni at number 825. It's BA's grandest old café, but queues for tables have made it less enticing than in former days. If it's low season you should pop in for a look and a coffee; otherwise, wait until you get to the capacious 36 Billares which is also venerable and never very busy. Avenida de Mayo is full of interesting architecture, reflecting the city burghers' aim of creating a southern hemisphere Paris or Madrid when the Argentinian state had full coffers thanks to meat and grain exports. There are old theatres, once grand now faded hotels, and restaurants serving Spanish dishes (concentrated on the corner with Salta). A particularly eye-catching edifice is the Dante's Inferno-inspired Palacio Barolo, which has guided tours. End your walk at the large, oblong-shaped Plaza del Congreso (in fact three connected plazas), where you can see a copy of Rodin's Thinker statues, a marker for Kilómetro Zero (from which all road distances in Argentina are measured), the headquarters of the famous Madres de Plaza de Mayo protest group and, at the far end, the domed Palace of Congress. Late Opposite Parque Lezama is the Torquato Tasso club – always worth keeping an eye on for tango or folk concerts. Dinner is served during the concerts. Or, Bar Sur in San Telmo has entertaining, if somewhat touristy, tango shows Monday through Saturday. Day two: morning Start off in the barrio of Palermo. This is the largest neighbourhood in the city, with many leafy plazas, a large residential district, a very exclusive embassy quarter, and an older-looking area called Palermo Viejo (divided by fad fiends into 'Soho' and 'Hollywood' in the late 1990s) that's one of the city's main nightlife and independent shopping hubs. Amble around the Plazoleta Julio Cortázar for a couple of hours. There are hundreds of uber-smart fashion, footwear, handicraft and other stores concentrated along Armenia, Gorriti and Gurruchaga and the cross streets of Honduras, El Salvador, Costa Rica and Nicaragua. There are plenty of 'third-wave' barista-helmed coffee shops in the district. To understand modern-day Argentina, you have to get a hook on the Peróns – president Juan and the most famous of his three wives, Eva (aka Evita). The Museo Evita has 13 rooms of photos, paintings and sculptures, newspaper articles and dresses she wore as First Lady. Afternoon Enjoy lunch at El Club de la Milanesa (Gurruchaga 1806) – a small-ish local chain dedicated to Argentina's favourite dish: breaded Angus beef or chicken, with fries or salad. Catch a taxi or the Subte to the Cementerio de la Recoleta. This famous necropolis was opened on the site of a much older cemetery in 1822 and is the final resting place of presidents, military generals, artists and socialites; Evita, who so disdained the upper classes, was buried alongside them with the rest of her family – the Duartes' mausoleum is not far from the porticoed entrance. Maps of the labyrinthine layout are available at the entrance, but it's stirring just to stroll around the miniature city of the dead, admiring the angels, cherubs, architectural follies and Graeco-Roman fancies carved from marble and granite. Late See an opera, ballet or symphony orchestra at the Teatro Colón – one of the world's great opera houses. The building is a romantic beauty, but the programme is a sublime mix of major operatic productions and more daring classical and jazz concerts. If you prefer a dinner, head to a bodegón – an old-school restaurant: there are dozens of good ones in BA: Miramar in San Telmo is a classic. If you want to try a steakhouse, Parrilla Peña is a great neighbourhood choice and much cheaper than the tourist-trap steakhouses around Palermo. Insider tips Attractions La Boca – the old port district with multi-coloured buildings – is essentially one pedestrianised street, called Caminito, curated solely for tourism, surrounded by a real shanty town. The tourist strip is often mobbed by coach tours, and is short on the romance it once promised to arriving immigrants. Expect tango dancers after tips for photos, human statues, hawkers galore – and watch out for pickpockets. If you do visit, the nearby Boca Juniors football stadium is legendary and some of the old bars and restaurants are quaint, such as El Obrero. Don't head off into the wider neighbourhood after dark. Neighbourhood watch Immediately south of San Telmo, Barracas is reclaiming its title as one of the city's most refined barrios. Former factories and once-abandoned warehouses have been turned into loft apartments, cultural spaces and government headquarters. East-west axis Avenida Caseros is lined with faded 19th-century private mansions reimagined as bars and restaurants. Artisanal craft-beer joints are opening up, while traditional vermouth bars have been revived. Colourful, pendant-decked La Popular de San Telmo pays homage to classic Italian spirits and Argentinian digestifs, as well as comfort food. At Hierbabuena, a veggie deli, fresh juices are whizzed together, and On Tap is the early-evening meeting point for a BA-brewed beer. City hack The local buses, or colectivos, are very frequent and cheap to use (a prepaid Sube card is used for these and for the metro system). Ride on the 152, 130, 64 or the 59 to take a tour of the city. It's a lot cheaper than the open-top tour buses and, if you avoid the rush hour, you'll easily get a seat. Plan your journey here. Did you know? When Spain first established its colonial empire in the Americas, Lima was its capital and Buenos Aires was a backwater – and would remain so until 1776 when the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata was created. How to get there and how to get around Most international visitors arrive at Ezeiza, also known as Ministro Pistarini International Airport. British Airways, Iberia and Latam fly here, as do other European and US carriers. There's no metro line direct to the airport though there are bus services. If you are travelling with a tour operator, ask for a transfer; it takes at least an hour to drive to the city centre. Some flights from Brazil and most internal flights land at Aeroparque aka Jorge Newbery airport, which is close to Palermo and downtown. A taxi will cost only a few dollars. Buenos Aires metro system, the Subte, is the oldest in the southern hemisphere. Six lines connect 104 stations. Get a Sube card from a station or pharmacy showing the SUBE sticker in the window, and load it with a few pesos for the duration of your stay. A single ride costs pennies. When to go The southern hemisphere seasons are a mirror image of Europe's. Spring (Sep-Nov) is dreamy in Buenos Aires, with long, warm days, relatively few storms or showers, and trees in blossom. Autumn (Mar-May) is also very pleasant, though you may need pullovers and an umbrella by May. Summer can be sweltering (upwards of 30C is not uncommon), and prices for flights peak just before Christmas too. Porteños hit the beach in January and February so the city can feel a bit quiet. Winter is wet and days are short. Buenos Aires is at 34 degrees south, so has a proper winter, temperatures comparable with those in parts of northern Spain. Storms and heavy showers can cause flooding. In terms of combining your trip to BA with other parts of Argentina, consider the following: Patagonia is best visited between late October and March, as winters in the south can be cold; the ski season in the Lake District is mid-winter; Salta and the north west have their dry seasons also in winter. Where to stay Luxury living Elegance shimmers from every chandelier of this fabulous palace, which pays homage to the glory days of Thirties Buenos Aires. Classic with a modern twist and unfailingly stylish, with every whim catered for, in this delightfully unpretentious five star. Read our full review here. Designer digs The former home-cum-production headquarters of the family of American film director Francis Ford Coppola is one of Palermo's most alluring small hotels. Attention to detail, personalised service, gorgeous rooms and a superb location make it a near-perfect urban retreat. For more hotels in Buenos Aires, see our guide to the best hotels in the city. What to bring home Maté gourds (and green maté tea to drink), leather belts and leatherware in general, gaucho trousers (called bombachas), wine. Know before you go Essential Information British Consulate: Dr. Luis Agote 2412, Recoleta (00 54 11 4808 2200); Tourist information: Defensa 187, Florida 50, both in Centre and South neighbourhood; Emergency services Ambulance: 107 Police: 911 or 101; Tourist Police WhatsApp 00 54 911 5050 9260 Fire: 100 The basics Currency: The official currency is the peso, written AR$, and is the main currency accepted in the city. There are several exchange rates and changing money used to be a circus, but the gap between official and parallel rates was recently only 4 per cent. Take US dollars to buy pesos. Telephone code from abroad: 00 54 for Argentina, 11 for Buenos Aires. Drop the first zero of any local number. Time difference: GMT minus 3. Travelling time: around 12 hours from the UK direct; 14-18 hours with stops. Local laws and etiquette Meeting times are flexible. Expect Argentinian friends to be late, though good tourist guides will keep time. Dinner is eaten late; restaurants are quiet between 7-9pm, which can be boring but is great if you want an early night after, say, a long flight. Wherever you are in the city, it is advisable to keep alert to those around you and avoid using your phone in the street, wearing jewellery or taking a full wallet or purse out: only carry what is absolutely necessary. Use ATMs by day. Accessibility for travellers with disabilities Wheelchair access is good at airports and is improving slowly in public buildings and on the streets. Kerb ramps are quite common in central barrios. See
