STORY TELLERS

A page for readers to share their views, thoughts and stories.

SALT

The presence of salt in food can be easily ignored but it’s absence in food is conspicuous. Runji Ghate

Salt, the most wanted ingredient in my kitchen shelves. Even in a sweet dish, I add a pinch of salt to balance the flavours! I cannot imagine this teeny weeny white dust-like substance vanishing from the Earth. Sany Annie Sunney

Without it, there would be no taste in any kind of cuisine all over the world or, in other words, life would be bland. Shabistan Firdaus

Perhaps one of the most minimalistic ingredients involved in the art of cooking, they enhance the flavour of food to such an extent that its role is incomparable to any other ingredient and it is also among the fundamental tastes which constitute our palate. Sarah Ann Shibu

The one ingredient that I would miss the most if it disappeared would be salt. There is something strangely sacred about salt; it is in our tears, the sea and even our food. Salt gives flavour and is essential in almost every dish. I believe one can live without sugar but it’s impossible without salt. Shaesta Mubasir

CACAO TREE

I would truly miss cacao tree if it suddenly disappeared from the earth because that would mean we would no longer have chocolates. Jasmine Salahudeen

Chocolate has the power to instantly make me feel better. The worse I feel, the more I crave it. Adding chocolate to anything has the power to make it seem instantly more appealing. Munazzah Muhammad

I would miss chocolate. I love and enjoy it loads of it Marissa Fernandes

RICE

If this grain disappeared from the Earth, how would we ever be able to invite our friends over for a biryani treat? I dread cuisines without rice. Lack of this ingredient means - no white rice, dosa, poha and pulao, which means no rice section in the menu booklet. And oh, no, kheer too! Shikha Dixit

SHAWARMA

I love shawarma; I’ve been eating them since I was a kid. I also love olives and they should be present in all my three meals. I’d miss meat and olives a lot if they disappeared. Sunder Surywanshi

Shawarma has become one of my favourite foods. It is the most preferred refreshment after a long tiring tuition class or a tiring day. Gayathre Jothi Kumar

WATER

I would miss the purest food-medicine, a satisfying food of the poor and the rich. My second option is powdered jaggery with coconut slices. Uma Maheswari K

The ingredient I would miss the most is water since it is the main ingredient to prepare any sort of food or dish. Kavya Lalwani

CHICKEN PIZZA

It is nearly impossible to imagine a life without chicken pizza. It has been my companion since I was three. As silly as it sounds, it has been with me through my highs and the lows. Fathima Faizal

ONION

This is one ingredient whose absence would make every food in the world less tasty. Shaila Pinto

POTATOES

From scrumptious samosas, to piping hot poori bhaji, potato is an indispensable part of every Indian’s delectable cuisine. Without this staple, the world of food would have a void that cannot be filled. Lakshmanan

BIRYANI

I really love the traditional Indian biryani and I would miss it a lot if it’s just gone forever. Ryan Jerald

Biryani is my beloved food. I’d miss it terribly if it disappeared. Manikandan Narayanan

TEA

The one food that I would miss the most is the regular tea. It is one item that energizes and invigorates a person and starts the day with a zing. Zeya Azmi

Having a cup of tea in the morning! I could not imagine a day without tea. Rekha Rajeev

SPICES

I love anything containing lots of spice. Without spice, my life is bland. For me, spices is the one thing I cannot live without. Zanetta Suri

TOMATOES

There are so many delicious meals made with tomatoes. Ketchup is a must for any meal and when it comes to Indian food, it is commonly said that there is ‘no flavor’ to the meal if tomatoes are absent in them. Sharumathi Palaniappan

SWEETS

Who doesn’t love eating sweets? They just blind all my worries for a quick reward. When you’re stressed you eat desserts because stressed spelled backwards is desserts. Roshelle

AVOCADO

Although this is a rather late entrant in my life (post leaving Mumbai 30 years ago), I thoroughly relish it and would truly miss it if were to disappear from the earth! Jaya Mahalingam

LEMON

It would be the humble lemon. Can’t imagine cooking or eating food without it, even its zest is so useful. It’s always been a huge help in tweaking, flavouring and enhancing flavours. Hope I never see the day it disappears. Namrata Malghani

PODI DOSA

Podi Dosa is one of the traditional food in Tamil Nadu, in fact, the most popular menu in Tamil Nadu. I love it so much because it’s tender and has got strong flavors in it, it’s flavorsome and properly seasoned. It’s appetizing. Aswath Murali

COFFEE

My day starts with a cup of coffee. If I don’t get it, I feel like I missed something. Priya Arun

NOODLES

One food that I think I would miss the most is probably the two minute noodles. I know that’s a little weird, but it’s just so easy to make and really really good. Anahita Firdaus Daruwala

JUNK FOOD

Such a hard question since I love all the junk food! If the healthy ones go away from the world, I wouldn’t even mind missing it. Pizza it’s my favorite Italian dish. Aditi Arun

CHICKEN

This is the ingredient I would miss the most if it disappeared from the earth. Syed Khulayd

CHINESE CUISINE

I have always been crazy about Chinese cuisine and it would have to be mixed haka noodles that I would miss if it ever disappeared from the earth. Sometimes when it’s made at home, I eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner! Michael Guzder

CAULIFLOWER

This is the one thing which I love the most and makes a lovely ingredient in sandwiches. Sanjay Gupta