Call Of India

THE SRI LANKA EXPERIENCE:  DEHIWALA ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS My general Zoo experience is that the animals are kept quite a distance away and you never really get to interact with them, mostly you get to observe. Well, the Dehiwala Zoological Gardens is anything but that!  I had the pleasure of not only observing the animals in a fun and safe way but also to see their individual personalities come to the fore as you will see in this review. BIG CATS Dehiwala Zoo has a collection of Big Cats that are quite fascinating to watch. A group of tigers are placed right next door to a black panther and jaguar who share an enclosure. These feisty felines were very playful and seemed just as interested in us, the viewer, as we were in them.  PRIMATES The larger primates, like the orangutan and chimpanzee, seemed less interested in interacting. Although this could be because hordes of school children were trying to get their attention by making grunting sounds (I can see why they...

HALDIRAM'S Come take a look at what this 80+ year company  has to offer! Haldiram's is the snack king of Indian delights. They have many popular lines of products ranging from sweet to savory, and even ready made meals. Many of their products are sold internationally if you are looking to try their products but not planning to visit India soon.  SAVORIES Namkeen snacks tend to be of the salty variety and come in various mixtures. Often times in people's homes they will put out a bowl of these mixtures so that the guest can take a spoonful into their hand to snack on.    Papad is a thin crispy fried disc that can be found made from various flours like lentils, chickpeas, rice, tapioca, millet or potato.  Mathri is a biscuit or cracker like snack that can also come in various forms and flavors.   SWEETS Soan papdi is usually cube-shaped or served as flakes, and has a crisp and flaky texture. The basic ingredients of this sweet are besan (gram flour),...