Congress MP Shashi Tharoor hailed the idli as a sublime creation on Saturday — vehemently defending the popular south Indian creation from criticism on X. The remarks came after an X user insisted that dosa was a delicious treat while its cousin tasted like “steamed regret”.
‘A cloud, a whisper, a perfect dream of…’
“A truly great idli is a cloud, a whisper, a perfect dream of the perfectibility of human civilisation. It’s a sublime creation, a delicate, weightless morsel of rice and lentil, steamed to an ethereal fluffiness that melts on the tongue. With the right accompaniments, it is the culinary equivalent of a Beethoven symphony, a Tagore sangeet, a Husain painting, a Tendulkar century,” the Congress MP wrote on X.
“Poor soul has clearly never had a good one….To call such a thing “regret” is to have no soul, no palate, no appreciation for the finest achievements of South Indian culture. I can only feel pity for them,” he added.
Where did the idli originate?
The exact origin of idli remains shrouded in mystery with some food historians pointing towards Indonesia. Some including renowned food historian KT Acharya suggest that the popular south India delicacy was derived from a steamed rice cake called ‘kedli’. The fermentation techniques adopted into South Indian cusine was likely introduced by Arab traders and greatly influenced Indian cooking styles. Early records also bear mention of a dish called Indian records also mention a dish called ‘iddaliage’ — albeit created with different ingredients and preparation styles. Idli underwent several iterations over the decades — becoming a staple in what would later become south India by the late medieval period.