Vikram Doctor VOICES
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How wooden barrels shaped liquid history from oil to feni
April 12, 2026, 1:19 PM IST
If Iran sustains its planned toll of $1 on every barrel of oil shipped through the Strait of Hormuz, it can thank the USA for the huge revenue it will get. For one thing, the…
April 12, 2026, 1:19 PM IST
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Food trees have great potential, but need skills to maintain them
April 9, 2026, 12:16 PM IST
My friend thought she was planting a mangosteen tree. It would take 8-10 years to grow, but finally, she would have the delicious sweet white fruit, set like a jewel in its purple husk. The…
April 9, 2026, 12:16 PM IST
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Len Deighton’s lessons for espionage came from the kitchen
April 5, 2026, 12:13 PM IST
In Len Deighton’s London Match (1985), his protagonist Bernard Samson takes Erich Stinnes, a Russian spy-turned-defector, for lunch. Stinnes used to work in East Germany, and Samson reflects that “my first choice would have been…
April 5, 2026, 12:13 PM IST
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The LPG crunch and the importance of diversifying fuel sources
March 22, 2026, 12:10 PM IST
One origin story of spaghetti alla carbonara traces it to charcoal makers, ‘carbonari ’, who toiled in the forests around Rome, cutting and heating wood in covered, oxygen-excluding piles, to create the high-energy fuel. Hard…
March 22, 2026, 12:10 PM IST
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The lessons to learn from icmic and induction cookers
March 15, 2026, 11:03 AM IST
The Icmic cooker was probably invented in Calcutta by Indumadhav Mallik, a Bengali polymath. It is a large tiffin-carrier placed inside a larger, double-walled cylinder with a charcoal stove below and a pointed lid on…
March 15, 2026, 11:03 AM IST
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The fortunes of canned food are linked to those of war
March 8, 2026, 11:18 PM IST
Canned food isn’t well regarded in India, other than condensed milk. But recently I found a good product from a Goan manufacturer that’s best known for selling rather rubbery, packaged bebinca. It has created a…
March 8, 2026, 11:18 PM IST
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Global deals for pulses could marginalise Indian varieties
March 1, 2026, 5:11 AM IST
In Goa’s Mapusa market, you will find a few ladies selling a small white bean called merule. It is larger than a mung bean, but smaller than a pea. This allows it to keep its…
March 1, 2026, 5:11 AM IST
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Goan Urrak, Korean Soju and the potential of low-alcohol spirits
February 22, 2026, 11:14 PM IST
A seasonal danger lurks in Goan refrigerators. From March till the monsoon, you run the risk of reaching for what you think is a cool bottle of water — and then spluttering with shock at…
February 22, 2026, 11:14 PM IST
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KT Achaya’s book on food, shows the value of indexing
February 15, 2026, 11:18 PM IST
In KT Achaya’s Indian Food A Historical Companion, the only general index entry for omelette reads “from crocodile eggs.” The page reference is for a mention in Charaka’s texts on Ayurveda on the aphrodisiac power…
February 15, 2026, 11:18 PM IST
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Favourite foods and funeral feasts
February 8, 2026, 11:11 PM IST
Dhansak confuses non-Parsis. This meat dish, with sweet-sour gravy thickened with pumpkin and dal, and eaten with caramelised rice and koftas, is one of the glories of Parsi cooking. Yet it , being served instead…
February 8, 2026, 11:11 PM IST
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How the French revolution helped develop both restaurants and dentistry
February 1, 2026, 4:49 PM IST
A cousin in the UK was recently told he needed four root canals. He was also told he had no hope of getting a dental appointment, so should try Turkey or Goa. I got a…
February 1, 2026, 4:49 PM IST
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How US meddling in Venezuela helped pioneer a poultry revolution
January 24, 2026, 4:43 PM IST
The Times of India writer was blunt in describing how Venezuela viewed a certain American politician: “When he visits a Latin American country the feeling there is that he has come to protect his interests,…
January 24, 2026, 4:43 PM IST
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Comics shaped healthy marketing, but failed with Scott Adams
January 18, 2026, 5:07 PM IST
Scott Adams, who passed away recently, would probably have considered the racist rant that abruptly ended the success of his Dilbert comic strip — a culmination of a long drift towards extremist politics — his…
January 18, 2026, 5:07 PM IST
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New Year is a good time to detox with grain teas
January 11, 2026, 5:04 PM IST
When Germans mention ‘Muckefuck’, they aren’t swearing. It’s a colloquial term for a coffee substitute made from roasted barley, malted barley, chicory and rye. It was developed by Nestlé during coffee shortages after World War…
January 11, 2026, 5:04 PM IST
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How Chennai’s music season also celebrates food
January 4, 2026, 4:58 PM IST
For outsiders, Chennai’s music and dance season, which happens from December to January, appears to be a deeply knowledgeable celebration of Carnatic music, Bharatanatyam dance and other classical art forms. But those from Chennai know…
January 4, 2026, 4:58 PM IST
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FROM TOI PRINT EDITION
Eat, drink & discover India
December 30, 2025, 8:34 AM IST
Only one trend really matters for food in 2026 – Rupee reached 90 to a Dollar in Dec and, while currently a bit below that peak, it’s unlikely to change much. While this should be…
December 30, 2025, 8:34 AM IST
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Could Tirupati’s problems help clarify the history of ghee adulteration?
September 22, 2024, 10:08 PM IST
In November 1886, The Times of India reported a case at the Fort Police Court, of Poonamchand Dueera charged with selling adulterated ghee. He was an odd defendant. When his advocate Mr Hurryshunker asked if…
September 22, 2024, 10:08 PM IST
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Tracing how hummus was invented and went global
August 25, 2024, 10:08 PM IST
I first tasted hummus in Grand Cheese Bazaar, the pioneering food shop started by Karen Anand in Mumbai in 1990. The cheese was nice, but what was great was this creamy, tangy, deeply tasty mash…
August 25, 2024, 10:08 PM IST
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The lessons learnt from cooking for big crowds
August 18, 2024, 12:16 PM IST
A friend recently sent me a social media post of an Indian recipe that has got over 2,50,000 likes. It’s a snapshot of a recipe for biryani for 800 people. Comments include jokes about immense…
August 18, 2024, 12:16 PM IST
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How to fix India’s problem with pulses
August 4, 2024, 1:21 PM IST
The government wants India to be selfsufficient in pulses by 2027-28. As the world’s largest producer of pulses by far, this may not seem hard, but we are also the largest consumer. A large part…
August 4, 2024, 1:21 PM IST
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