“Just try it, you might like it!” my dad says trying to push a spoonful of muri and milk into my mouth.

“Yuck,” I say with sheer disgust etched onto my face.

That was last week, but since then I did end up trying Muri and milk and it wasn’t “yuck” so I owe my dad an apology. Muri is puffed rice essentially; you can eat it by itself or in other foods such as milk, yoghurt and curries. My dad ate it like cereal- so that’s what I did too. I saw my regular cereal finally expired so I tried some! This particular one smelled of honey, and it was a bit sticky. However, upon trying it with the milk I drink, it tasted like butterscotch! It was at this moment I asked my dad why he had Muri with milk instead of regular cereal like me and my brother. I understand he doesn’t like things that are too sweet, but other cereals exist; why go through looking for an entire bag of Muri?

I learned about how in Kolkata my dad would eat this with his mother and his siblings. They ate it like cereal and it ended up being extremely healthy too. He likes the reminder of being in India sometimes when he eats it, especially when there’s a pandemic that stopped us from going to visit this year. 

My mom came home and to my room, livid that she saw my expired cereal box in the garbage bin. She asked me what I ate and after hearing my answer, she smiled. She said she was happy that we still ate Muri and anything she gave us to eat because “kids our age” in this generation don’t eat that anymore. It made me feel a bit guilty for not being so open to trying things from their childhood, but I’m more open to trying snacks and other foods they ate in India, and even when they first immigrated to the United States.