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a plate of assorted desserts on a table

What’s the most delicious thing you’ve ever eaten?

South Asia’s food is a love letter to the culinary senses. From the syrupy sweetness of gulab jamun to the spicy crunch of chakli, every bite is a ticket to culinary nirvana. Sweet, savory, tangy, or melt-in-your-mouth divine, these dishes are pure joy and delicious. But for someone like me, this paradise comes with a catch. My family tree is a walking medical chart. Diabetes? Check. High blood pressure? Got it. Fatty liver? Oh, it’s lurking in some obscure branch. If there’s a health issue, we’ve claimed it like a dubious heirloom. This shows up in our lifespansmost of us are lucky to hit our seventies. Now, my wife’s family? They’re a different breed. They devour biryani by the bucket, pile on sweets, and still waltz through life with no health issues. They’re the ones hitting their nineties, active on WhatsApp, and probably out-dancing me on Facebook. It’s maddeningly unfair,… What’s the most delicious thing you’ve ever eaten?

variety of cupcakes

What’s your favorite candy?

In my family, asking about favorite candy is practically a forbidden topic. Why? Because lurking in the branches of my family tree are high blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, fatty liveryou name it, and some relative has it. It’s like a medical bingo card where everyone’s a winner (or loser, depending on how you look at it). Now, it’s not that I don’t have a sweet tooth. I dobut it has been pruned, shaped, and disciplined like a carefully maintained bonsai. Take my tea, for example. I use just half a teaspoon of sugar. That 250g packet of sugar I bought months ago? Still going strong. Sweets, candies, cakes, chocolates,cup cakes, ice-creamsI have to be cautious around them. Too cautious. In fact, I should probably stop thinking about them right now before I start craving something I shouldn’t.