New relatives from India to visit. Any advice would be much appreciated.

[Joods]

I like to stick a couple of incense sticks in the ground around the garden when I have visitors.
Nag Champa is my favourite.

I love that scent. It's one of my favorites too.

[Minimalist]

Min eerily so

[Jenny A]

From visiting myself I know that the worst possible food is a foreign attempt at American food. I'd avoid Indian dishes. French fries for snacks is a little odd. I'd go with fresh fruit and vegetables with dips. It's very American, has no no carbs to speak of though if humus is one of the dips it'll give something that does have carbs. It's also unintimidating.

[account_inactive]

Min eerily so

Those dance moves tho.

[ScienceAf]

Typically desi people like their soul food from their countries.

You can change it up a little bit by maybe letting them try some new tea or some sort of American meat patty instead of just full out desi food.

But don't change it too much.
No one in my desi family likes anything too different.
My mum hates American food. My gramps is okay. My grandma is all "???" My dad loves it. My aunt loves both.
Just get to know them first.
Then you'll see what they really want.

[Whateverist]

Those dance moves tho.

I know, pretty close to my own.  Breathtaking, right?  I always get a lot of attention.

[Aoi Magi]

Typically desi people like their soul food from their countries.

You can change it up a little bit by maybe letting them try some new tea or some sort of American meat patty instead of just full out desi food.

But don't change it too much.
No one in my desi family likes anything too different.
My mum hates American food. My gramps is okay. My grandma is all "???" My dad loves it. My aunt loves both.
Just get to know them first.
Then you'll see what they really want.

Getting to know someone and catering to their tastes before even meeting them for the first time is a bit... hard.

When people are staying in a foreign land, like indians settled is america, it is quite normal to crave food from back home, however if you are just visiting another country temporarily, people generally prefer to enjoy the local cuisine rather than be fed bastardized versions of food they have everyday back home.

People crave what they cannot have.


@gramps, if they are from hyderabad and vegetarian, you might want to double check if garlic is allowed... many Indians, and brahmins especially associate those with non-veg food and consider it a taboo.

[Whateverist]

Typically desi people like their soul food from their countries.

You can change it up a little bit by maybe letting them try some new tea or some sort of American meat patty instead of just full out desi food.

But don't change it too much.
No one in my desi family likes anything too different.
My mum hates American food. My gramps is okay. My grandma is all "???" My dad loves it. My aunt loves both.
Just get to know them first.
Then you'll see what they really want.

Getting to know someone and catering to their tastes before even meeting them for the first time is a bit... hard.

When people are staying in a foreign land, like indians settled is america, it is quite normal to crave food from back home, however if you are just visiting another country temporarily, people generally prefer to enjoy the local cuisine rather than be fed bastardized versions of food they have everyday back home.

People crave what they cannot have.


@gramps, if they are from hyderabad and vegetarian, you might want to double check if garlic is allowed... many Indians, and brahmins especially associate those with non-veg food and consider it a taboo.

Thanks for the tip!  I'll just use plain humus to be safe.

[Whateverist]

Well I've busted my ass all week to get the garden in the best shape possible for this time of year (given we're in a drought and water is used sparingly). The menu will be pretty simple:

Carrot & raisin salad sandwiches on wheat bread with chutney and humus
Mango crackers topped cheese and a raspberry
Mango cracker topped with a mango, quinoa & coconut dessert and topped with fresh mango
Watermelon wedges
Strawberries
Black and Chai tea
Scones with jam
Cookies from the indian section at Berkeley Bowl
The best cookie/shrotbread in the world with salt caramel cut into innocent looking little bits

I intend to tell them straight off that I've just finished dieting for the first half of the year and no matter what I set out as temptation they are under no obligation to eat anything which would prevent them from meeting their own goals. But I hope they'll like some of it.

I'll try to get some pics to post if they're not camera shy. (The garden never is if they are.)

[Regina]

If you're cooking a full meal, avoid beef (not eaten by Hindus) and pork (not eaten by Muslims, and maybe Sikhs too). Don't know what religion they are but that covers the major faux pas I guess.

Nothing else to add that hasn't already been said