Brace yourself for this little nostalgic ride. Those school days and especially Sundays that usually was an official television day. As much as those cartoons were an indispensable part of Sundays, advertisements played a crucial fun role. Not only me but all of us, children of 80's used to sing in chorus very happily. I still remember that Sunflower oil advertisement - The healthy oil, the healthy people and that rolling big Puri with big gulabjamuns in the background. Do you remember that cute little girl saying, I love you Rasna?! I loved her as much as I loved Rasna. But the most catchy song was 'School se aate Dhoom machate...maggi noodles'. I was jealous of that boy in that jingle happily sitting with a bowl of pipping hot maggi noodles and bending a little, starts sucking up that flavourful delicious string of soft, silky noodle with lips pouted, stomach pulled in. This was so inviting and left me imagine that why my mother never made maggi for us when we came home hungry as dogs from school? Girls with curly hair often got their curls compared to Maggi, some were even nicknamed as Maggi. Maggi became a figure of speech and a proper noun! Such has been the influence and unconditional love for it.
Today, with this life threatening Maggi controversy happening I should thank my mother for not inculcating such habits of indulging in junk food but then at that age my brain wasn't aware of MSG and other preservatives involved in imparting taste and flavour, the harm they were to cause my growing body. Whenever my brother and I went to buy that little something from a nearby kiosk at least I was tempted to buy a pack maggi wrapped in that yellow poly bag, it always lured me. When my friends chatted about gulping down a bowl of maggi, I was jealous but whatever happened to me, my mother was undeterred from her decision of not buying such nonsense with loads of preservatives, instead she emphasised on making home made vermicelli upma and I equally loved that. I confess to have forgotten the lead laden, MSG rich maggi while gulping down that bowl of upma loaded with nutrition, free from preservatives and garnished with Mom's love. Okay, believe it or not I didn't taste maggi until I was 18! Shocked!Me too, when the whole nation and our generation was deeply in love with this little wonder that was damn easy to cook, I was unaware of its taste.
 |
| Taste bhi, Health bhi(??) and Lead (Pb) bhi!!! (Pic from Google images) |
It was only when I left home for my higher studies, that I started buying this 2 minute wonder and I was deeply in love with it. Hostel life - midnight hunger pangs - roommates - maggi and coffee, what a life - perfect!!! Then being a science graduate, I read the content but conveniently ignored MSG, probably I was trying to compensate my maggi less childhood. The idea of cooking something in 2 minutes was eloquent enough to bring it in our houses.
Now that the number of working Mums have increased by folds, life is getting busier as ever, the departmental stores are stuffed and overflowing with instant noodles, pot lunches, breakfasts conveniently sidelining home made nutritious snacks. Mornings start with cornflakes packed in boxes but thanks to those numerous dabbawala's for delivering fresh food tiffins. Find a suitable tiffin for your taste buds and you are sorted. To maggi, losing market in India definitely is a substantial loss but if they come up with a remodelled Maggi without preservatives in a biodegradable packing then they will be welcomed open heartedly.
Something irreleavently relevant is not to forget to thank our Indian Moms fully loaded with Indian sentiments, where they believe that cooking and feeding their families is a prime responsibility, she isn't selfish at all and this keeps us going. Well if she isn't able to put up a meal due to her job/career then why can't we expect this from the man of the house? A family that cooks together, eats together is a healthy and happy family.
So now, try cutting on food stuff containing preservatives. The longer shelf life means more preservatives! Indulge into fruits, home cooked foods. An apple enlightened Adam and let this 2 minute maggi enlighten us about good and bad food habits.
Happy and healthy eating to you all :-)
