Today’s question- “What is your favourite season?”
I grew up in India and when I was younger, we used to have 6 seasons. The population of India was still not bursting at its seams, the cities were still not concrete jungles and the place was relatively safer for women and kids.
Seasons in India were directly related to food. Seasonal food was the norm and my mom used to cook what was available. There was no concept of everything available all year round. So I used to enjoy saag and gobhi in winter and bhindi and kheera in summer.
My favourite season in India was rainy season. After the intense heat, the first splash of rain was a welcome relief. It was also the start of the Indian festivals. We used to have swings on trees and the fresh smell of rain in soil and grass was intoxicating. It was a joyous occasion and mum used to make pakoras and endless cups of tea to accompany the rain. I loved it sitting in the comfort of my parental home.
When I moved to Australia, I realised that it only had 4 seasons. The winters and summers are longer but not as harsh as India. Here I fell in love with spring which has the perfect temperature range. As the weather gets warmer and the nature starts blooming, people start going out of their homes more. We have so many outdoor events to kick off spring and with daylight savings, the days feel longer and brighter.
While Australia today does not have foods associated with season, spring means you can enjoy the varied fresh produce and the multicultural cuisines in its full glory.
I am looking fwd to the onset of spring and enjoying it with my friends and family as we move on to glorious warm days and nights.