A recent video by an Indian content creator in the United States on “how to not smell like curry” has left the internet divided, highlighting the racial stereotype in the West of people from India smelling of curry.
Shivee Chauhan, based in San Francisco, shared the steps she takes so that her clothes do not smell of the Indian food that she cooks in her house.
“I like my Indian food. But I also hate going out smelling like Indian food,” she said, outlining what she does to avoid the smell of Indian spices and onion on her clothes.
Chauhan revealed that she has dedicated “cooking clothes” that she wears while cooking and that she immediately changes out of office wear after returning home.
“The smell of the onion, garlic and spices really sticks to the clothes that you’re wearing. So it is worth it to have clothes that you cook in and always, always change out of office clothes as soon as you come back home,” she said.
“I also change my clothes before going out so that they don’t have that lingering smell of cooking.”
The woman also warned people against wearing jackets near the kitchen. “If the smell sticks to your jacket, it’s just not going to go away till you dry clean your jackets. And even then, it might not.”
She suggested that keeping jackets in closets with doors shut during cooking sessions is a good idea to ensure they don’t smell of food.
Watch the viral Reel here:
The viral video, which has over 7.8 million views, triggered a wave of remarks in the comments section, with some appreciating the Indian woman for the tips while others criticising her for reinforcing racial stereotypes tied to Indian culture.
“I think this is a white people concept,” a user said.
“Have you ever tried going back to India?” another user said.
Many users came to the content creator’s defence, arguing that she was simply sharing practical tips.
Another user, Alekhya, pointed out that unlike in India, the scent of Indian food tends to linger more in homes in the West. “This isn’t about ‘whitewashing’, but rather, dealing with the persistent after-smell of onions. No matter how much perfume you use, the scent can be hard to eliminate,” she said.
User Anu suggested, meanwhile, suggested that heating coffee powder in a pan is a way to neautralise the smell of food.
(Also Read: Indian-origin man says ‘I’m Canadian’ to woman’s racist rant, flags ‘disturbing rise in hate’)