Food serves many purposes other than just providing nourishment

Young Shreya Patel’s hyphenless quinoa garam masala burger that won her a place at the White House Kids Dinner from her (and the Obamas’) state of Illinois this month, proves that even if identities are presented dehyphenated, they do not automatically become homogenous. And, more importantly, they do not even need to be so in order to be accepted by the nation. Indeed, there is a lesson in that ‘healthful’ burger for neighbouring Louisiana governor and White House hopeful Bobby Jindal. For, the burger’s very Indian-Americanness probably contributed to its overall success, rather than detracted from it.

A few thousand kilometres further east in the land of her forebears, Patel’s creation could well be deemed a vegetarian shami kebab with a (south) American quinoa twist. But there is no doubt that had she tried to stick to the all-American meat patty with lettuce, tomato, onion and ketchup ‘back home’ in the US, her offering would not have made it to the shortlist, much less been a winning entry for the prestigious annual event that gets children thinking and cooking healthy for a chance to dine with the First Couple. Thankfully, rather than gloss over her ethnic heritage, the nine-year old sent a recipe for what is really an American-Born Confident Desi’s burger.