TV
Indian cuisine, celebrated worldwide for its rich flavours, aromatic spices, and diverse regional specialities, has always held a cherished place in global gastronomy. However, a recent comment by Australian YouTuber Dr Sydney Watson has sparked a heated debate, leading to an intense backlash on social media.
The controversy began when X user Jeff shared a viral post praising Indian cuisine, accompanied by an image of several Indian curries and rice. He captioned it, "Indian food is the best on earth. Fight me." The post quickly gained momentum, garnering nearly 10 million views as food lovers from around the world chimed in to celebrate the vibrant flavours of Indian dishes.
However, the conversation took an unexpected turn when Dr. Sydney Watson responded to Jeff’s post, stating, "It really, really isn't." This dismissive comment ignited a wave of reactions. Watson further fuelled the controversy with a follow-up tweet: "If your food requires you to put dirt spices all over it in order for it to be palatable, your food is not good."
Her remark, seemingly trivializing the importance of spices in Indian cuisine, drew sharp criticism, with the tweet amassing over 5.3 million views and becoming a focal point for backlash.
Social media users swiftly came to the defense of Indian food. One user, pointed out the historical value of spices, saying, "European countries went to war over the spice trade in India.”
Another commented sarcastically, "Funny how 'dirt spices' have birthed some of the most coveted cuisines in the world. I’ll take flavor over bland any day."
Another added, "Gordon Ramsay says you’re wrong, and he knows more about food than you, I’m sure of it," Another emphasizing the integral role of spices in Indian culinary identity, wrote, “Poor taste. Indian food is among the top tier cuisines of flavour sophistication, given the complexity of spices used in balance--each of which also happens to be medicinal in various ways. Doctor.”
