From The Peopling of New York City

This is an interview with one of my Indian friends who would like to remain anonymous.

Q: How old are you?

I am 18 years old, as if you didn’t already know, haha.

Q: Were you born in India and emigrated here, or were you born in America.

I was born in India and emigrated here when I was only six months.

Q: Are your parents born in India?

Yes

Q: What part of India?

My parents were also born in Kerala, India.

Q: What religion do you practice? I think it was Christianity, just wanted to be sure.

Yes, my whole family practices Christianity.

Q: Where did you grow up in America?

I grew up in Queens Village, Queens New York.

Q: How many times have you visited India? If you have, around how much total time did you spend in India?

I have visited India about 8 or 9 times and have spent around a total of around 3 years in India.

Q: What would you say is the most important difference between Indian restaurant food and American restaurant food?

The greatest difference between Indian and American food is the ingredients. The American ingredients used to make Indian food just do not quite match the Indian food taste. Also, a lot of the food prepared here is just heating up frozen food from India. In India, mostly everything is made from scratch. There is a huge difference in the taste.

Q: How is the Indian food in India different from the Indian food in America? In particular, did they use shortcuts, whether it be machines, cheaper spices/flavoring/ingredients, etc to make it easier to make, and did they change it to taste "better".

To answer your question, Indian food looks and tastes very different from American food. No, in Kerala, India they really do not use shortcuts. In America, a lot of Indian food is just frozen and shipped to the US and they just reheat the food sometimes. At other times, they use the same recipe but usually use cheaper flavors here depending on the restaurant. At home, my mom cooks it just like she would in India expect for the fact that the stuff there just tastes better, probably because even the ingredients are fresher there. But then again, I am biased.

Q: What advantages does a store in America have over a store in India? Disadvantages? And vice versa?

In America, restaurants can make more cash because prices way more than they should be and because in America, most people can afford to go out every once in a while and eat. The disadvantage is in capturing a culture's taste in food. This many restaurants fail in doing and a lot of people do not realize it.

Q: Do you believe that Indian restaurants sell Indian food more to spread cultural identity (sell to non Indians) or to sell to its base (sell to Indians)?

In America, I believe most Indian restaurants are trying to sell to whatever people they can. They probably know most of their customers will be Indians but also expect other Americans to eat as well. In India, what's the advantages of selling there? Probably just so the owners can live. I'm pretty sure that if most people were offered a chance to come here, they would. But when they realize what "paradise" they have come to, they long for the simple life back in India.

In essence, how a store decides to change the method of making the food depends on the store. There are many ways to decrease the cost of producing the food, possibly including heating pre made food. Admittedly he is biased, in that he greatly believes Indian food in India is superior.

--Cjean 12:59, 20 April 2009 (UTC)