> > Most hotels in India dont bother to serve the variety of local cuisine - > just the limited standard stuff. I have yet to see a hotel menu with fresh > rice sevai, lasoon chutney, appam, missi roti, neer dosa, gatta kadi, > vaalachi virdi, pesarettu or even sweets like methi ladoo, adai pradhaman, > dhik/ding ladoos, jackfruit halwa, elai adai payasam, chakli, fresh sweet > coconut dumplings, mango panna,... These are not rare or special foods and > yet its only available either at a friend's home or yours (depending on the > region your origins lie).
If they're that easy to obtain at home or at a friend's why would you pay top dollar for the same food? The tendency for the restaurant-goer is to eat food that is either too elaborate to cook at home, or requires resources and skills not available at home. This also explains why local foods are usually easier to get at low-market places: you just don't pay more than a certain amount to eat them out of home (which usually only happens in a pinch or when one is on the move). -- Sumant Srivathsan http://sumants.blogspot.com
