Moby Dick on a Stick

Whale meat resurfaces on Iceland menus.

Diners at the upscale Lobster House restaurant in Reykjavik, Iceland can enjoy familiar appetizers such as lobster bisque or smoked eel. But the hot new starter is minke whale sashimi with wasabi crust and a shot of ginger tea on the side.

"It's traditional food made in a modern way," says chef Ulrich Jahn, who is now perfecting whale ceviche -- raw, thinly carved slices marinated in lime juice, lemon grass and garlic.

The recipes are mouthwatering to Gunnar Bergmann Jonsson, the man on a mission to introduce whale meat to a new generation of prosperous Icelanders.

After a 20-year ban on commercial whaling, Iceland in 2006 resumed limited hunting of minke whale, one of the smallest and most numerous of the main whale species. Mr. Jonsson is the sole landlubber at the country's only licensed whaling company, Hrefnuveidimenn ehf. Marketing is among his many tasks.

However, the marketing for it remains a challenge, especially to the younger generation. Iceland and Japan are among the few countries that still hunt whales amid global opposition.

Read on about this interesting story here.

Bas 2 minute!

Most of you who have grown up in 80s and 90s would be familiar with one of the most useful inventions made in the history of food – especially for bachelors – guys and gals alike. Yes, I’m talking about that loyal yellow packet peeping out from one of your kitchen drawers or shelves – Maggi instant noodles!

Unlike in relationships when you start taking your partner for granted you may end up on the losing side – with Maggi, you can be rest assured. Maggi has formed an unending, loyal relationship in almost each bachelor’s life even though we don’t realize the importance of this heavenly snack, which doubles and triples its job by not just acting as an in-betweens but also as a trustworthy companion for breakfast, lunch and dinner and oh those mid-night cravings.

I stand in gratitude to a noble man named Julius Maggi, who was the founder of Maggi Company in the year 1872 in Switzerland – though the Maggi noodles came some time later.

It has saved one too many from numerous crisis situations by acting as the noble saviour. When you doubt your cooking abilities or feel too lazy to get up and cook something elaborate, what comes to mind first? Think Maggi – and it’ll be there – bas 2 minute! (It takes a bit more than 2 minutes though – but hey, who’s complaining!)

Even the dhabas lined outside my hostel in Delhi have mastered the art of cooking Maggi and we sometimes zero-in on a dhaba who makes the better Maggi . Every other evening, post classes, Maggi remains my favourite.

Recipes

Although Maggi Noodles page on Wikipedia lists down more than 20 types of formulations, my personal favourite remains Maggi Masala – some things are best left original. You open the packet, break the cake into 4 parts, put them into boiling water, add the taste-maker and start stirring (the contents of course). And voila! In about 2 minutes or 4, if you’re like me (I like to give some ‘extra time’), it’s there – the fruit of labour, your very own yummy noodles now smartened up to take a lovely shape! If you like, you can sprinkle some oregano on top of it, like I used to do when I was in Pune, to make it taste even tastier. Right Akshaya?

And oh, I like it sans any vegetables or elaborate recipes – it’s meant to be simple, without any pomp and show, so keep it simple stupid (KISS principle)! Besides that I love it if there’s a little (mind you just a little) water left in the noodles. Umm ... I can smell it!

Maggi also demonstrates with great efficiency how coiled things in life ease out when put in boiling water.

Marketing Gyaan

What Xerox is to photocopier and Colgate to toothpaste, Maggi is to noodles in India. And this is no idle boast. “Indians eat most Maggi noodles in the world," said ex-Chairman and Managing Director of Nestle India, Carlo Donati, not too long ago.

It was Donati who brought the instant noodle brand to the country during his short stint in the early 1980s. Maggi went on to create a whole new product category and caught the fancy of kids across the country in no time. It made the phrase ‘Bas 2 minute’ iconic. It wooed mothers with the promise of ‘fast to cook and good to eat’ snacks. It added that bit of ‘different’ to the popular ketchup. And offered 'health bhi, taste bhi' through its no-MSG soups.

To conclude

Well, nobody can truly measure the and express the impact of Maggi on a bachelor’s life and one blog-post is just too insufficient for that. It is just a small way to pay my tributes to one of the most important foods of a bachelor’s life.

[Oh! My roomie has woken up and is going to the kitchen. I ask him, lunch plans? With a grin on his face, he replies, Maggi!]