There's a cd in my food...

[JoitheArtist]

Last night, I went to the grocery store to stock up on food for house-sitting. The store near my house had a pretty big "world foods" aisle, and I picked up some heat-and-serve Indian meals (along with microwave pad thai, jelly babies, and wine gums!) One was a dessert thing called Pentha Halwa.

I get home, eat dinner, and decide to try the dessert. I opened the package, dumped out the pouch of food...and out comes a cd with it! My first thought was just that this was very bizarre. But as I heated up the dessert, I looked at the cd. It's a recording of a traditional style of Indian music, and the case told a bit about the structure of the genre. I listened to the CD, and there was a recording before the music that talked more about the genre.

I decided that this is actually pretty dang awesome. So often you eat food derived from a culture without ever experiencing more of the culture than that. This cd gives me the chance to experience a little more of Indian culture.

Plus, I just kinda like the music. Gotta remember to buy this brand again--there's 5 different albums you can get!

Oh, and the Pentha Halwa? TO DIE FOR! Holy crap, that stuff is good.

[Dreamstalker]

That is really neat. Some Japanese snacks will have toys included, and I used to buy some candy that had a small picture book in the package. I really like the idea of putting some cultural goodies in with foreign food.

I'll have to try that dessert.

[JoitheArtist]

My officemates have instructed me never to bring in Pentha Halwa again, because it will make them break their diets.

This stuff is SERIOUSLY good, even reheated in the microwave. I need to stock up on it.

[Mike Taylor]

Now that's an interesting way of exposing people to a different culture. That's really damn cool.

[LionMan]

I have a bunch of Indian music cds I got with some Indian food items I bought a month ago. Haven't listened to it yet though.

[Food Lady]

Joi, what brand is the pentha halwa? I'd love to pick it up if I could.