One of the things Rod has missed the most for his entire six months in India is margarine. Okay, he missed the family, but margarine came a close second. There are many products on supermarket shelves here that look like margarine, but after purchase, when he opens the container at home, they aren't margarine. Generally they're some kind of cheese spread, and some of these have been quite nice in their own right, but they're not margarine. Sometimes even upon opening the container, he has been no more enlightened on the contents. Obviously the packages state on the outside what they are, sometimes not in a language he understands (so not English), and sometimes in English that he doesn't understand. What is "Amul Lite Bread Spread Low Fat Low Cholesterol"? Don't know, but it's not margarine. So he took the path of least resistance and bought butter. This was an easy option because it actually used the word butter on the cardboard box. However, butter is impossible to spread from the fridge, and butter kept at Indian room temperature isn't butter for very long. To get the butter at its optimum spreading temperature required planning ahead. Anyone who knows Rod and his cooking ability would understand that this is harder than it sounds.
The British School's Welcome Booklet for the year had listed a couple of supermarkets used to supplying the diplomatic and expatriate communities, so yesterday I went shopping at Basant Lok in Vasant Vihar. It was definitely a "quality not quantity" shopping experience. Prices were high (by local and by Tesco standards), but these were imported foods that would comfort us on our low days. Heinz Baked Beans, Ravioli and Cream of Tomato Soup. Fruit Winders. Scottish Cheddar. And Flora.
Rod was ecstatic when I told him I had found some Flora, and a little bemused when I told him I was hoping someone would show us the local substitute, something that was really margarine that would spread from the fridge. After all, if I knew where to buy Flora, why would I bother with a local margarine? Because the Flora had cost 458 rupees. That's £5.64 or $12.13 AUD.
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2 comments:
Love your blog, Lana!
As for the butter, just put it in the new microwave for 12 seconds. It will be spreadable then.
Love, Min
Um failing that if it must be Flora, would it be cheaper to courier it over? Overnight in a cold box it should arrive OK especially if you send a good amount of it.
Alternatively there is a recipe for margarine soemwhere. It involves oil and butter I think. It's a rationing trick.
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