'Essence' of America

Sriniketan · Feb 13, 2008

Dear friends,

What is the 'essence' of America?

I was pondering over this question, when my mom was telling me, if I offered something to her to eat or if she opens a closet---'it smells like America'.

It took over 15 days for me to figure out the answer to this question.
Do you want to be like me, who took almost 2 weeks to figure it out bonk
or did you have an answer right away.
What is your wild guess in this matter?

For those who took sometime to guess.....here is the answer.

It is the taste and smell of 'Vanilla'.

My mom tasted 'vanilla' essence in the cookies and chocolates and smelled the same when she opened the pantry where I have kept the 'GNC--Nutritional powder--(given by a fellow-doctor for my husband to improve his health), which had a strong vanilla flavour.

Do you agree with me or do you have other answers too, which is always welcome.

sriniketan

Devika Menon · Feb 13, 2008

Hi Sriniketan,

You got my taste buds tingling early morning dear. Dont know about States but at my home it smells Vanilla and no regrets as I simply love the fragrance and flavour of it. I gnerally go for Vanilla essence for all my cakes and pudding . I also love scented Vanilla candles.And the simplicity of the taste of vanilla makes it my favourite over the other choices... And A vanilla ice-cream with chocolate sauce..hmmmm....heavenly combination.

God Bless,

Devika

sunkan · Feb 13, 2008

now srini,
ya vanilla is a flavour all like and my children have kept a bottle of sugar with vanilla pods stuck in them to make cakes and use it for other cookies and all...so pl do answer what is indian essence according to u..sunkan

Sriniketan · Feb 14, 2008

Hi Devika,
So your house has the 'essence' of the States.
you also made my appetite soar up for the vanilla icecream with chocolate sauce but
poor me we are not able to quench our apetite because of the cold weather here.bonk
Glad to see more 'vanilla fans' here.

sriniketan

Sriniketan · Feb 14, 2008

Hi Sunkan,
Nice idea.
will the sugar also tastes like 'vanilla sugar'.

Indian essence----'mixed essence' with agarbathis, flowers smell mixed with oil..in the temples, masala smell in the hotels and road-side shops---in the house...to be sentimental---'home sweet home' smell.

For us living abroad-- it is the 'patriotic essence' we smell when we enter our motherland.

sriniketan

Anandchitra · Feb 14, 2008

Dear Bhargavi
This is very interesting.. I too agree with you on the smell aspect.. I would have never guessed on vanilla but thats a very nice one too. I think there is some nice smell in all I dont know if thats just because the item is 'foreign"? sometimes perfumes carry on the smell on other items too..very interesting to read..

Sriniketan · Feb 14, 2008

It is true AC even the perfumes go a long way to 'perfume' things that are nearby.

As we don't use perfumes, I thought it was 'vanilla' and it is!

sriniketan