To the Joy of Comfort Food...
We’re currently in the throes of a life changing experience, as we start afresh on Canadian shores.
While the thrill of the new keeps you going on most days, there does come a time when you long for a little bit of comfortable familiarity.
A refuge, where you momentarily relax, recharge emotional batteries, and resume your tilt at new windmills.
Food, in my experience, provides this succor, maybe even shelter.
That’s probably how the term “comfort food” came into being.
Finding Forrester…er.. Food.
While some wits have considered Canada to be an extension of Punjab, ground reality is a little different from this wishful perception.
Yes, Brampton does have its moments, but getting there by public transport is by itself good reason to remain at inertia of rest.
The food ranges from awful to pretty good, and success is only likely when you’ve Googled, planned and executed it like a military mission.
Take out or home delivery is constrained by budgets & sometimes, by conversion arithmetic.
Even if that weren’t the case, its not really easy to find something you’d easily relate to, for the flavors and spices have been adapted to suit the local palate and are suitably mild.
So where does a newly landed immigrant turn to?
Trawl the supermarket shelves. Hope to find something that makes up for the lack of other options.
Aimlessly wandering through aisles with arrays of mind boggling options, I had all but given up when I chanced upon a stack of Maggi.
On Sale ! 26c a pack (approx Rs 13) – Whoa. It says its a product of India !
Imported – With Indian spicy flavour !
All boxes checked – Truly a happy day indeed !
That was when the floodgates of memory opened.
Much Ado About Maggi.
Maggi and I have an enduring, one way relationship
It began when as a seven year old, I was hooked by the taste of the Capsica flavour (yes there was one then).
The bond grew stronger when like many other kids my age, I cut out the 2 minute noodles label, mailed it to the company and got enrolled in to the Maggi club.
They gave you a shiny metallic badge (see following pic), which quickly became an unofficial part of the school uniform. For the entire grade had signed up !
They also organized a fiercely contested school quiz. I remember insisting on participating in one of these, while ignoring a bout of high fever with the help of medication.
It was sad not winning the branded school bag that day, but the principal, Mrs Simlai, more than made up for it by giving me all the packets she’d received !
The first tentative steps into the world of cooking happened with it.
It soon became a regular fixture on the monthly shopping list.
Started to appear in school lunch boxes.
Also became the occasional dinner at some friends’ homes ! (a pleasant surprise, which upped their parents’ cool quotient 🙂 )
The other flavors bowed out to the sheer volume of Masala eaters. They did make a comeback later, but fizzled away soon.
Around 1997-99, someone decided that innovation was the order of the day, and changed its taste and formula.
All hell broke loose. Maggi didn’t taste good any more. The shop owners got earfuls of anguished feedback.
I guess sales would have declined, for things recovered eventually, and the usual, familiar formula was back on shelves.
College introduced me to delightful culinary variants like butter Maggi, Schezwan Maggi and egg Maggi. And unusual times of the day / night to have them.
Any opportunity to sample a new variant was taken up earnestly, at any time of the day. Living in NOIDA after graduation meant spending precious money at the Nescafe outlet in Sector 18.
The story continued during post graduation and of course, well into the job. Phone numbers of Maggi entrepreneurs were saved to ensure desk delivery. Places that served great variants identified and frequented. During this period, I also tried its various competitors like Top Ramen, Yippee, Cup Noodles, and Wai Wai. They have their own tribes of loyalists, but Noodles = Maggi as far as a large chunk of consumers is concerned.
As if this weren’t enough, I remember waking up hungry after a pretty hectic evening of partying at the Oktoberfest in Munich, and dashing to the grocery store nearby, for yes, you guessed it right.
And then one day, came the lead in Maggi controversy. All hell broke loose.
“ Naah, that can’t be. We’ve trusted it since so long”, someone said.
“I’d be full of lead by now ”, another opined.
“Maybe I am – in the brain”– I said to myself.
Obtaining Maggi became a cause to celebrate. Crafty entrepreneurs started to sell it in black, but they too ran out of stock.
Anyway, normalcy, and with it, my cherished pack of noodles eventually returned to shelves. A memorable occasion, worthy of the hype and celebration !
All went well from there on, till we made this move.
Things are looking up, and now that I have discovered where to find my favorite comfort food, all will be fairly right with the world !
As my kid grows up, there are days when she asks for her version of butter Maggi. I am not sure whether that’s the right thing to do, but I hope she enjoys it all the same, and goes on to acquire her own collection of Maggi memories.
For a hot, reassuring bowl will always be two minutes away !
PS : Thank you to the teams which launched, built and run this brand to the day – and to those who brought it to this market. More power to you !
#brand #Maggi #India #Canada #immigrantlife #food