MOMO Gormandizers Anonymous

Momo: a type of steamed dumpling with some form of filling. Original traditional delicacy from Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan, Ladakh, Darjeeling, and Northeast – now mainstream Indian fare

I’ve heard some of the most interesting stories at work townhalls when I’ve posed questions like “Tell us something about yourself that most colleagues don’t know about” OR “What’s the most embarrassing situation you’ve ever found yourself in” OR “Can you share one of your proud moments”.

A few years ago I heard this story “I had a terrible weakness for momos. Every time I’d go out to eat, I’d invariably order momos. I loved them of course but it got to the point where I’d have momos as the entire meal. And it kept getting worse — more full meals as momos, more frequent orders from my favorite momo place. I had become a slave to momos! I decided this had to change but how? I hatched an overdose plan — momos for breakfast, lunch and dinner, for as many days in succession until I succeeded in getting it out of my system. I did this for a week until one day I felt like I had had enough momos to last a lifetime. It’s been 2 years since I’ve been momo-free.”

I filed this story under #extreme-way-of-combating-an-obsession and was reminded of it when I caught up with an old school friend (M) whom I was meeting after 30+ years.

Me: “So… any major changes in your life since we last met?”

M: “Hmm.. quite a lot actually but perhaps the most significant is that I’m now a vegetarian.”

Me: “Wow! How did that happen?”

M: “Well, you know chicken is something I’ve always loved. Not that I haven’t eaten other types of meat but it’s just that chicken has had an outsized presence on my dinner plate. And then one day, I looked at the chicken on my plate and decided that I had had enough chicken in my life. No more chicken. No more meat. No more fish. I turned vegetarian that day and have remained so.

Me: (always eager about people’s trigger points to turn vegetarian) “You mean to say there was no particular trigger point or epiphany to your decision?”

M: “I’m afraid so. Now that I’m a vegetarian I’m happy of course but I can’t pinpoint any one thing for that decision.”

Two different people. Two different diet change decisions. While both stories are interesting, the former begs the question “Has the overdose technique worked for anything/anyone else?”

If you found the above interesting, you might want to check other posts in the Food category.

Closing note: The Momo King presents some interesting facts about momos including how they came to India.