FoodComm Wars- RETURN OF THE VADAI

It was early Monday morning. Vinod hastily climbed the stairs of the college hostel. He stopped for a second to gather his breath and then he ran along the long corridor to the Bathroom. Panting and gasping he shouted to the junta inside “Dei Vadaiya menulendhu thookitangada” ("Guys !!! Vadai has been removed from the breakfast menu.")


Within 15 minutes a huge crowd had gathered around the mess manager’s desk in the hostel mess. The indignant inmates surrounded the Mess Manager and tried to give him the third degree. The Mess Manager argued that the were running short of ingredients for making Vadai . This caused further confusion as the students started murmering that the Manager was selling the material meant for the hostel in the black market. The mayhem continued for nearly 30 minutes. The students calmed down only when the Warden climbed on the table and shouted the others down. He acknowledged that the unthinkable had happened. And that he would ensure that justice was done. The crowd slowly but unwillingly dispersed.

An outsider may wonder what the fuss was all about. After all what had happened was that the Vadai had been removed from the Breakfast menu. If not the Vadai, one would be eating something else. So what’s the big deal? Where he to voice his opinion, such an outsider would be commiting blasphemy.

The Tamilian likes his Vadai and he is sensitive about it. He will maintain the stiff upper lip if the water problem is not solved in the State. He will grin and bear the horrendous roads. He will accept bribes as a part of life in the state. He will not twitch a muscle when his favourite hero’s movie bombs at the box office. But tell a word against Vadai and that could as well be your last word.

A fervent patron of Vadai, with whom I was doing a pointless chat once, told me that he was shocked to learn that the Mumbaikar ate the Vadai placing it between loaves of bun. “Where is India heading, if the Vadai is treated with such utter contempt”, asked this true son of the soil. I hastened to assure him, that the Vada of the Mumbaikar’s Vadapav he was referring to, was closer to the Bonda of the Chennaite than the Vadai. And that our brethren, north of Krishna were not brainless to hide the Vadai between loaves of bread and spoil it. The patron heaved a sigh of relief and added “Yes ….and even if they did, wouldn’t their act be as futile as the act of the clouds which try to hide the sun.” Such is the passion and poetry that Vadai fuels in the mind of the Chennaite who loves his food.

“So if you folks like Vadai so much, why do you treat it as a second hero, by having it along with two Idlies.”. This question may pop up in the mind of the skeptical outsider

The idea of having two Idlys and one Vadai is not just an economic choice but also shows profound philosophy. Moderation and balance are the essence of human life. Even Amritha, the Divine nectar has to be taken in moderation. The Idly with its non-existent taste brings in plain serenity to one’s life. The Vadai on the other hand stimulates one’s taste buds. It brings in excitement to the serene life. By having Vadai and Idly in the 1:2 ratio, one ensures a balance in life. If either one of them is not in the correct proportion, the delicate balance is lost. The Chinese call such a thing the Yin and Yang. The Tamilian simply chooses to call it Idly and Vadai. And whatmore, he continues to practice it everyday in his life.


The discerning eater might now ask, which Vadai was banned from the hostel. Was it the Masala Vadai, or the Keerai vadai or was it the ULundhu Vadai?

That a class system exists among even Vadais is a fact undeniable. While each one of us may have a different opinion about which of the above said category of Vadais taste better, we may be better served to take the opinion of the Connoisseurs of Vadai. But as it turns out on such sensitive topics, even the experts themselves fail to come to any conclusion. So as a resolution to this complex issue, I suggest all Vadais be treated the same. Let equality prevail atleast in the realm of the Vadais.

Coming back to the issue of the banned Vadai, the hostel inmates had to go without Vadai for nearly four days. A high level committee was formed comprising of the Hostel Warden, Mess Secretary(who was the student’s representative) and the Dean of Students. The committee investigated this issue painstakingly. The Mess Manager stuck to his stand that the provisions for the month for making Vadai were over and he would not be able to do anything till the money for the next month was allocated. The others suspected him of misappropriating funds, but could not prove anything conclusively. So finally as an effort to appease the students, the Mess Manager was shifted to staff mess and the students were told that the man who could not understand their sentiments about Vadai did not deserve a place in the hostel and hence was transferred to the Staff Mess where he could do less harm.

Things finally returned to normality over the weekend. And a huge cheer went up as King Vadai returned to its rightful place the next Monday.