That sounds really cool, Steven. Where did you go to college?
My favorite boyfriend in college, not the guy I loved the best, but the one I enjoyed the most, lived off campus, and had a roommate from Sri Lanka, Jatal Manapuruma. I think that's how you spell it. And I can't remember which are the upscale Sri Lankans, I think it's the Sinhalese, who are a lot like continental Indians, but Mana was the other kind, very dark skinned, Tamil. But he was buddy-buddy with one of the upscale guys, and they were friends with other guys from the Sub-Continent, Indians mostly, I think they were mostly engineering students.
Anyway, they used to get together and cook curry dishes, and other Indian cooking, nothing like that to be found in Baton Rouge. They got their food shipped in from home, stuff like Maldive Fish ~ which puts Nuoc Mam to shame, it's actual "fermented" fish, and the term fermented is a euphemism, I believe, but it's actually good stuff, once you can convince yourself to eat it. It's a condiment, and the Romans used something very similar, they called it "garum." I think the Indians call it "garam masala," but I am not sure.
And he also had friends from all over Latin America. They used to have the best parties. |
