Fish & chips, cultural misappropriation!

While everyone has been sucked into the yada yada over Prada fad-a, in restaurants and eateries across India's metropolitan cities, a crime less fowl, more fish is carried out every day. These establishments have been shamelessly perpetrating cultural misappropriation by passing off deep-fried crumb-covered fish with French fries on the side under the crunchy colonial hangover alias of 'fish & chips' - and, in some cases, even 'British-style fish & chips'. A trade war in the middle of finalising a Britain-India FTA may be in the offing.

Now, Indians having a fair taste of Britain know what the Brit classic looks like - a wondrously desolate hunk of cod or haddock, battered in self-esteem, flour, baking soda and vinegar, resting beside girthy-worthy potato chips. It has little in common with 'fish fry' - deep-fried bhetki or rohu fillet covered in breadcrumbs. And, yet, in some ludicrous Anglo-Bongo accent, the menus perpetuate the lie: 'Authentic fish & chips'. This is not to say that fish fry isn't delightful. It's just a different kettle of fish. It's truly remarkable, though, how India, where darzis appropriate the latest Armani and startups 'borrow' biz models and pass them off as innovation, has been hopeless in fish & chipping. Justice must be served - crispy-crunchy on the outside, sinking soft in the inside. How hard can it be?