What began as a light-hearted food debate on X quickly went viral after Congress MP Shashi Tharoor jumped into the conversation with one of his signature vocabulary-filled responses. The debate started when a user compared rasgulla to “an idli dipped in sugar syrup,” leaving food lovers divided online.
The now-viral exchange amused social media users, but it was Tharoor’s elaborate defence of both dishes that truly stole the spotlight. This conversation on X made everyone pause and pick a side.
‘Rasgulla is just idli in sugar syrup’ post sparks reactions
The original post, shared by X user @crazyxedi, called rasgulla “the most overrated dessert oat.” The tweet was posted alongside another viral post by user Sayantika, who had wondered how to explain the taste of Bengali favourites like mishti doi and nolen gurer rosogolla to non-Bengalis.
Soon, users flooded the comment section with jokes, memes and passionate opinions about regional food favourites.
Shashi Tharoor calls the comparison a ‘cosmological misunderstanding’
Responding to the viral comparison, Tharoor wrote, “Indeed! To conflate a Rasgulla with an Idli is not just a culinary error; it is a profound cosmological misunderstanding.” In his trademark literary style, he explained why the comparison made little sense. He described rasgulla as “chena (the delicate, squeaky, pristine curd of milk)” while calling idli a carefully fermented savoury dish made using rice and urad dal.
“Their compositions are from entirely different kingdoms,” he wrote, adding that one is an airy syrup-soaked dessert while the other is a steamed savoury staple with “structural integrity and existential purpose.”
Internet loves Tharoor’s over-the-top food defence
Tharoor also praised idli as “a masterclass in biotechnology,” highlighting the science behind fermentation and its nutritional value. “To suggest an Idli would even consent to being drowned in sugar syrup is to fundamentally misunderstand its dignity,” he added. Social media users were thoroughly entertained by the dramatic response. Many joked that only Shashi Tharoor could turn a simple rasgulla-versus-idli debate into something that sounded like a philosophical lecture on gastronomy and civilisation.
The exchange has since gone viral online, with users widely sharing screenshots and praising the politician’s uniquely grand style of expression.
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