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No veggie delight in South Korea

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S Kannan
S KannanOct 18, 2014 | 09:49

No veggie delight in South Korea

It’s been one week since I returned from the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon. Considering I am a die-hard vegetarian, I do not have a single pleasant memory of South Korea. Even with money in my pocket, it was slow starvation.

People who have been to South Korea warned me I would have a tough time getting "veggy" food to eat. I laughed at them. I have made two trips to Beijing and Guangzhou in China in the past, I saw no reason why I would suffer.

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South Korea was a nightmare from the third day once my supply of paranthas ran out. Breakfast, lunch and dinner, each meal became more and more frugal as every dish I asked for was not on the menu.

When I saw some salad on day five my eyes lit up. Again, my worst fears came true as even salads have some form of meat there. Someone said it had pork, some said it was seafood!

The morning cornflakes was the most nourishing part of the day after which biscuits, muffins and cakes became my staple diet. Every bakery item was loaded with sugar, even plain white or brown bread was unheard of.

Add to my woes, the language problem - the South Koreans just had no clue how much they were making this Tam-Brahm suffer.

One day I happened to spot an affordable buffet near the shooting range where Jitu Rai registered India’s first gold medal. There was rice and tofu amidst a clutch of meat dishes where the sight of pork and beef scared me off!

Once the shooting event got over, it was again slow starvation. Junk food became the order and those McD burgers were tasteless. No aloo tikki in it or paneer. Just a dry bun and with just some cheese in it!

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The pizza joints were there but if you were looking for wholesome meal, this was not the place to be. The more adventurous people, with time on their hands, hunted for Indian restaurants but they cost a bomb. To top it all, the food was low on salt and spices. It was more like eating fake Indian tadka food.

By the time I started packing my bags for my return to Delhi, I had stopped dreaming about the duty free goodies at T2 airport. I longed for chole bhature, dal, tandoori roti and every other Indian dish.

When I finally reached home and got down to eating a masala dosa, I had the nightmare case of indigestion! Imagine, a Tam-Bram  unable to digest dosa? When I weighed myself, I realised I had lost four kilos in three weeks, better than what even a fitness trainer can offer these days.

So, how do I feel? On top of the world. Even though I know the kilos will be back in my frame. Heck, who cares, it’s better than being hungry despite money in your pockets.

Last updated: October 18, 2014 | 09:49
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