To ban Chandigarh’s love for momos is a big no no!
Plea for ban on momo hasn’t gone down well with Chandigarhians. Bring out an alternative, they say, why eliminate something that tickles your taste buds beyond measure?
The humble momo from the north-east has won many a Punjabi heart through the stomach. So, it’s unlikely that Jammu BJP legislator Ramesh Arora’s call to ban the dumplings for containing carcinogenic taste enhancer Ajinomoto will curry favour with momo lovers in Chandigarh, Panchkula and Mohali.
Momos, the steamed dumplings usually filled with chicken, have been reinvented to suit the Punjabi palate so much so that today there are more than 15 varieties to choose from. They include the popular paneer momos, tandoori momos, cheese momos, keema momos, and fried momos. There are wheat momos for the health conscious and chocolate momos for those with a sweet tooth.
But Arora, a member of the J&K legislative council, has been seeking a ban on the sale of momos for five months, saying they are the root cause of life-threatening diseases, including cancer of the intestine.
Watch Video: Do momos have MSG?
AGREE TO DISAGREE
“Momos feel like food family. There’s no question of banning it,” says Bhawni Trivedi, 19, a student of journalism. “I wonder how the original momo tastes after sampling so many alternatives,” she says.
Mohan Lal, who owns a small stall in Chandigarh’s Sector 35, says, “Almost all dishes made in the market need a pinch of Ajinomoto to enhance their flavour. The plea should be to minimise their use not ban them.”
Agreeing with him, Palak Kaushal, 20, a law student of Chandigarh, says, “You can discourage consumption not ban momos.”
Ishita Seth, 20, a momo lover and journalism student, says, “The government does not get to choose what we eat. All it needs to do is create awareness. What we consume is our choice.”
“People like the variety this dish offers,” says the owner of an eating stall in Sector 19, Chandigarh. “We don’t use Ajinomoto when momos are made on a large scale. Banning it is not a good idea,” he says.
“I’m a momo lover but I think Ajinomoto is harmful if consumed regularly. Anything within limits is fine.” says Ayushee Arora, 20, a student of humanities in Chandigarh.
All in all, the plea for a ban on the momo hasn’t gone down well with Chandigarhians. Bring out an alternative, they say, why eliminate something that tickles the taste buds beyond measure?