Tharoor deploys Sachin, Husain, Beethoven in poetic defence of the idli, responds to ‘regret’ dig

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, considered a master of eloquence, has once again taken the internet by storm. This time, surprisingly, not just for his vocabulary but for his poetic defence of the famous South Indian delicacy, the idli.

Responding to an X user who dismissed idlis, the staple Indian breakfast food, as “steamed regret”, the Kerala MP unleashed a lyrical takedown that transformed the soft rice dish into an icon of “civilisational brilliance”.

The user said, “Dosa? No words, just respect. It’s idli that tastes like steamed regret.”

But Tharoor defended the dish with the same fervour he brings to parliamentary debates and speeches.

Here’s what he said: “Poor soul has clearly never had a good one. A truly great idli is a cloud, a whisper, a perfect dream of the perfectibility of human civilisation. It’s a sublime creation, a delicate, weightless morsel of rice and lentil, steamed to an ethereal fluffiness that melts on the tongue.”

But it was his artistic analogies that elevated the reply to viral status. He compared the idli to legendary composer Ludwig van Beethoven’s symphony, Indian genius Rabindranath Tagore’s music, MF Husain’s painting, and a century by cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar.

“With the right accompaniments, it is the culinary equivalent of a Beethoven symphony, a Tagore sangeet, a Husain painting, a Tendulkar century. To call such a thing ‘regret’ is to have no soul, no palate, no appreciation for the finest achievements of South Indian culture. I can only feel pity for,” he added.

Tharoor’s response, equal parts wit and cultural celebration, won the hearts of foodies and literary lovers alike as X readers responded with a mix of admiration and amusement. Some asked him to patent the post before a restaurant uses it.

However, this isn’t the first time Shashi Tharoor’s social media post has captured the attention of netizens. Just a few days ago, another post featuring a photo of him alongside his younger self went viral.

In the post, Tharoor shared an AI-generated image from fans who placed him face-to-face with his 22-year-old self. “I find myself torn between envy at this avatar’s swagger and amusement at his scraggly beard. The decades have done me good, I must say. But what I wouldn’t give to have the waistline of this younger chap!” Tharoor wrote on X.