When the Tastemaker became the Changemaker

By Karmishtha Krishna

Two minutes to happiness –

A matter of joy, nostalgia and pride to Indian families

“Mamma, Maggi bana do na” echoes in my mind

As I crush the cake and add masala to the boiling water

The only gourmet snack I can cook

The only gourmet snack I can never let go of

The ‘Maggi’ fragrance fills my home

A mixture of spices so sweet, so tender

Strongly reminiscent of lunch breaks at school

Of grabbing chunks of cold noodles from steel dabbas

Of finding the longest noodle in a bowl full of hundreds

Of seeing who can slurp up the soup faster

The ‘Maggi’ fever became a revolution in Indian households

A back-up in the kitchens of those

Who never really saw themselves becoming master-chefs

A symbol of bonding

Between siblings on the dining table

Between friends at roadside tapris

Between lovers on cold rainy days

Between childhood and adulthood -

A constant in the lives of those

Who never really wanted to grow up.

So this ones for you, Nestle.

For making me proud of my Indianness.

For uniting Indians to the core

Irrespective of all the possible differences

In just two impossible minutes.