Daily writing prompt

What food would you say is your specialty?

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Dear friends,

I hope this blog finds you in good spirits. Today’s writing prompt, “What food would you say is your specialty?” immediately made my mouth water.

Whenever I think about specialty food, especially the cuisine from Bihar, there are so many delicious and spicy dishes that evoke fond memories. As a Bihari, I have a deep connection with traditional, flavorful food.

Bihar offers a rich variety of dishes, from fish fry to chicken handi, dal fry, Chole Bhature, and khichdi. But one dish I particularly love is Litti Chokha.

However, above all, my favorite specialty item is dosa. Although dosa originates from South India, it holds a special place in my heart and there is a reason, which always makes me smile.

In this post, I want to share a funny childhood story about my first accidental encounter with dosa—an experience that still makes me chuckle whenever I think of it.

I was about nine or ten years old when this happened. We had recently moved from a small town to Ranchi.

Being the youngest in the family, I wasn’t allowed to go out with friends to eat at restaurants back in my hometown.

But after we moved, I suddenly found myself with more freedom. Though I had the freedom to explore, I didn’t have any friends in this new city yet, so I often felt a bit lonely.

Little known about Dosa

One evening, as I was sitting outside, I remembered hearing from friends that people celebrate happiness by eating dosa. And since I was feeling excited about our new life in Ranchi, I thought, “Why not celebrate with a dosa?” Little did I know, I was in for a surprise.

That night, after dinner, I decided to walk to Gupta Mistan Bhandar, a nearby sweet shop, convinced that dosa was a type of dessert, something like gulab jamun or jalebi.

In my childish mind, I imagined it to be sweet and soft, the perfect after-dinner treat. So, after a hearty meal of paneer and rice at home, I set out with excitement to try my first dosa.

The shop was about half a kilometer away, and by the time I arrived, it was around 9:30 PM. I found an empty table and settled in. When the waiter came, I confidently ordered, “One dosa, please.” As I waited, the warm breeze from the ceiling fan made me drowsy, and I ended up dozing off for a few minutes.

I woke up to the sight of something unfamiliar being served at the table next to mine. It looked nothing like the dessert I had imagined—it was large, paper-thin, and crispy.

My heart sank. “Is this what a dosa looks like?” I thought as panic began to rise. Before I could process it, the waiter placed the same dish in front of me.

I stared at it in horror. Having just eaten a full meal at home, my stomach was already tight, and now I had this big dosa sitting in front of me. But what could I do?

I couldn’t just leave it untouched. I didn’t want to look foolish in front of the other customers. So, with great difficulty, I started eating.

It took me over half an hour to finish

It took me over half an hour to finish, struggling with each bite. By the end, I felt like my stomach was about to burst. And the worst part? I still had to walk half a kilometer back home.

When I finally got home and told my family the whole story, they burst into laughter. They laughed so hard that they had tears in their eyes, while I stood there trying to hide my embarrassment, forcing a smile and pretending to laugh along.

Even today, whenever I see dosa, that memory flashes before my eyes, and I can’t help but smile. But, despite the funny experience, dosa remains one of my favorite dishes.

As I finish writing this blog, I see that my family has just made fresh dosa at home. But the story of how it tastes will have to wait for the next blog. Until then, enjoy your special dishes and keep smiling!

Categories: infotainment

Tags: #creativity, #Travel, breakfast, dailyprompt, dailyprompt-2100, dosa, featured, food, south-indian