Shriram KrishnamurthiMar 16
I knew I was in place with a strong Indian population when I landed in Singapore and saw Black Forest Cadbury Dairy Milk.
Show threadThe ol' tealeg 🐡Mar 16
@shriramk Indians like a German inspired variant of a US owned British chocolate brand? Noted. Cadbury’s is increasingly common in German supermarkets these days - the influx of Indians might explain that, it can’t be the Brits, Brexit has somewhat limited the supply of my compatriots.
Show threadShriram Krishnamurthi

@tealeg To my recollection, black forest cake took Bangalore by storm in the 80s, but that may just be because that's when I came of age. But it is as close to a "universal" desert as we have:
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/29/dining/black-forest-cake.html

"One of the most effective proselytizers of Black Forest cake was probably the British Empire"

How Black Forest Cake Conquered the World

Dessert lovers from Chile to Pakistan to Fiji claim it as a national treat. How did it get there from the woods of Germany?

The New York Times
Mar 16 at 4:02pmWeb
Show threadThe ol' tealeg 🐡Mar 16
@shriramk I cannot read the NY Times article, but now I'm wondering how it came to be popular with the British. One might suspect either the Sax-Coburg and Gotha line (Prince Albert) or the Hannoverian line (George's I to IV, and Victoria). *However*, Wikipedia suggests that the Black Forest Gateau didn't exist prior to 2nd decade of the 20th century, and was largely spread around Europe by the Nazis.
Show threadShriram KrishnamurthiMar 16
@tealeg I think you're ascribing way too much meaning into this.
Show threadThe ol' tealeg 🐡Mar 16
@shriramk when you can’t eat sugar, cake suddenly becomes incredibly mystic and meaningful ;-)