BITES

And you thought knowing your single malt from your blends was enough? Well, there8217;s lots more to know if you want to climb newer highs as a conver-sationalist.

And you thought knowing your single malt from your blends was enough? Well, there8217;s lots more to know if you want to climb newer highs as a conver-sationalist. Talk about smoky mescal, fiery arak and tangy pisco. Sake, a rice wine from Japan, is usually served hot, while grappa from Italy is made from the leftover skins and seeds of grapes after winemaking.

Arak or the milk of lions is produced in Lebanon and Jordan. A worm in my drink? Don8217;t squirm, for mescal is the drink of choice at all Mexican cer-emonies. Derived from the agave plant, it is es-sentially a tequila with a worm at the bottom of the bottle.

Only opt for the origi-nal porto, which comes from Portugal, a sweet and heady red wine. A brandy with peppery overtones? That8217;s pisco, the national drink of Peru and Chile, a brandy dis-tilled from the native Muscat grapes and served as an aperitif.

Once you8217;ve had them you can8217;t get enough. Besides, they make for some great dinner-table conversation as well.

Strange, but possibly true. Pune could be on the way to becoming the paratha capital of the world! The city is dotted with restaurants that offer a mouth-wateringly wide range, and at low prices. And what makes them thrive are the thousands of Pune8217;s out-of-towner college students. Chai-tanya on Fergusson Col-lege Road spills over with students from noon to midnight. Nandu8217;s on Dhole Patil has a similar story to tell. 8220;We get around 300 to 400 stu-dents in a day,8221; says owner Deepa Thadhani.

8220;There are so many stu-dents who come from other cities and they miss maa ke haath ka khaana. So, we at Chaitanya were the first ones in the city to introduce the concept of subzi and parathas,8221; says Sameera Bagle, owner.

Nandu8217;s offers aloo parathas in different styles8212;Sindhi, Jain and Punjabi. The Sindhi parathas are made medium spicy, the Pun- jabi ones are really spicy and for the Jains, no onion and garlic. While Nandu8217;s offers 22 types of parathas, Only Parathas near Inox, offers a whopping range of 160 types. At Sagar Restau-rant opposite the railway station, the aloo and pa-neer parathas, at Rs 20 and 22, respectively, are hot favourites with stu-dents. And these eateries offer more than just food. At Chaitanya, for insta-nce, the owner herself has formed a deep bond with regular customers. Fondly addressed as Bhabhi, stu-dents share their lives8217; highs and lows with her.

WITH AVANTIKA BHUIYA