"india" news and stories

An advertisement for India's first Haagen-Dazs ice cream outlet has sparked outrage from angry locals who say they discriminate against Indians, Advertising Age reports.

Posters near the Haagen-Dazs in a Delhi mall "tried to strike a cosmopolitan note with a reference to the French Riviera and the words 'Exclusive Preview for International Travellers. Access restricted only to holders of international passports,'" the magazine says.

An editor who wrote a blog post on the Times of India Web site -- called "Sorry, Indians Not Allowed" -- said a friend was not allowed to enter the Haagen-Dazs ice cream store. The post got more than 1,000 comments.

Haagen-Dazs executives told the Times of India that anyone who was barred from entry at the ice cream shop was excluded because it was too crowded, Ad Age says.

The ice cream company did apologize for the advertisement.

Just like in many other parts of the world, industrial chicken farms are putting small breeders out of business in rural India. They just can't compete with the immense economies of scale that the industrial farms have cultivated. Of course, the giant farms keep the birds in unhealthy conditions and then feed them all sorts of antibiotics to keep them healthy.

The Guardian reported last week on a new way that rural Indians are fighting back, and it turns out to be an old way. They are turning to a native chicken breed that is better adapted to the area, can be raised outside, and has a strong immune system so the birds don't get sick as often. Due to all of this, the giriraja breed is easier and less expensive to raise, so even poor rural families can have a few chickens for food and maybe a little bit of profit.

What do you think about returning to native chicken breeds?

Olives are such a Mediterranean product that it's hard to think of them as being grown, in mass quantities anywhere else. That could soon be the case, however. Israel is sending a million trees to Rajasthan, in northern India. It's a deal that the leaders of India hope will spark a new era in agricultural production, as well as bring some much needed revenue, in the country.

Diplomats are finalizing a three year deal now, and it is hoped that India could start exporting olive oil by 2011. While it is a good thing for India, Israel isn't just in this for the warm fuzzies. Israeli companies will benefit from the deal, both in farming and in designing an irrigation system that will allow the farming to happen in the first place, as northern India is a desert. Overall a win win for both countries, at least it seems that way. What do you think about India olive oil?

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We've heard a lot in the last few years about the health benefits of green tea. It can help with everything from weight loss to cancer prevention. But could the polyphenols in green tea be the next miracle substance?

Researchers in India have been looking into new uses for green tea extracts (GTE), and have come out with a cool new use for them. The researchers found that the extracts can act as a preservative on meat in a room temperature setting. They say that the meat will last four days longer than if left untreated by GTE.

This discovery has major ramifications for undeveloped countries where refrigeration is still scarce. This means that they will have that much more time to sell their goods before things start to spoil, and consumers have that much more time to use the meat. I think that natural preservatives could (and should) be the way of the future. The whole world drinks green tea: what could be more natural than that?

For the first time in 18 years Indian Mangoes are going to be allowed into the US. As of last Friday the NY Times announced they are here and I am looking forward to them expectantly. India has over 1000 varieties of mangoes. They come in varying shapes, colors, and tastes.

A few years ago I spent some time in India and I still vividly remember stopping by street stalls and buying dozens of fresh, sweet mangoes of all types. My friends and I would sit on the beach and happily slurp them down, running into the surf afterwards to wash off all the sticky juices. Some times we would pick up spice mixes to sprinkle on top of the luscious fruit so we could enjoy the dual sensation of spicy heat and cool juicy fruit.

Don't expect to see huge amounts or types of the fruit immediately available. Some transportation problems still have to be worked out. But within a few months you'll have your pick of mangoes to happily munch on. Don't forget your bib.

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