Padma Lakshmi Shreds’ “racist” column states that Indian food is based on “one species”

Padma Lakshmi was among those left with a sour taste in her mouth after reading a Washington Post opinion column that inaccurately ruled out Indian cuisine “based entirely on one species”.

Written by humor columnist Gene Weingarten and published last week, “You Can’t Make Me Eat These Foods” focuses on the author’s discomfort at sweet marinades, balsamic vinegar, hot dogs with more than two ingredients, and more. menu items and ingredients.

Weingarten claimed that Indian food, in particular, is “the only ethnic cuisine in the world insanely based on one species.”

“If you think Indian curry tastes like it could drop a vulture from a meat cart, you don’t like Indian food,” he wrote. “I don’t get it, as a culinary principle.”

Lakshmi, who hosts “Top Chef” and the Hulu series “Taste the Nation,” responded to Weingarten’s piece with a series of scathing posts on social media.

“It’s really not necessary for something like this to be posted in 2021 (or ever),” the 50-year-old, who was born in India, wrote on Instagram. “At best it’s racist and lazy.”

Although Lakshmi acknowledged that Weingarten was entitled to his culinary preferences and intended to be so, he nevertheless exploited his column to “regurgitate old colonizing troops” in an attempt at humor.

In a separate tweet, urged Weingarten to consult his 2016 book, “The Encyclopedia of Spices and Herbs: An Essential Guide to the Flavors of the World.”

“Clearly you need an education about spices, flavor and taste,” he wrote.

Weingarten’s play also drew the wrath of lawyer Meena Harris, who is the niece of Vice President Kamala Harris, and writer / actor Mindy Kaling.

Weingarten, two-time Pulitzer winner, he apologized on Twitter Monday afternoon.

“I should have called it a single Indian dish, not the whole kitchen,” he wrote. “I see how insulting that brush was.”

The Post column has been updated since then. A correction at the top now says: “An earlier version of this article incorrectly said that Indian cuisine is based on a spice, curry and that Indian food is only made up of curry, a type of stew. In fact, the very diverse cuisines of India use many mixtures of spices and include many other types of dishes.

Weingarten’s claim that Indian food “is based entirely on one species” and the line “you don’t like Indian food” now says “you don’t really like Indian food” has been removed.

Still, it seems unlikely that Weingarten will reconsider his opinion on Indian cuisine soon.

On Saturday, he acknowledged the criticism his column had already received and told readers he had visited Rasika, an acclaimed Indian restaurant in Washington, DC

“The food was very well prepared, but I was still swimming with the herbs and spices I despise,” wrote on Twitter. “I don’t return anything.”