A funny social media debate about Indian food recently turned into a viral sensation after Congress MP Shashi Tharoor delivered a sharp and humorous response to a user who compared Rasgulla to an “idli dipped in sugar syrup”. His detailed explanation quickly grabbed attention online, with many users praising both his language skills and sense of humour.
The discussion started on 15 May when a social media user named Sayantika posted about Bengali sweets like Misti Doi and Nolen Gurer Rosogolla. She wondered how someone who is not Bengali could fully understand the taste and appeal of these traditional desserts.
Soon after, another user named @crazyxedi reacted to the post and described Rasgulla as “nothing but an idli dipped in sugar syrup”. The user also called it the “most overrated dessert”. The comment quickly went viral and crossed more than 2,50,000 views on social media.
As the debate gained attention, another user named Kanika jokingly warned that if Shashi Tharoor came across the statement, the original commenter should prepare for a strong and highly sophisticated reply. Her prediction turned out to be correct.
The very next day, Shashi Tharoor joined the conversation and strongly disagreed with the comparison. In his trademark style, he explained that Rasgulla and Idli are completely different foods with different ingredients, textures and purposes. Shashi Tharoor not only called the comparison of idli and rasgulla as culinary error but a “profound cosmological misunderstanding”.
He pointed out that Rasgulla is made from chhena, a soft milk-based ingredient, while Idli is prepared using fermented rice and black gram batter. According to him, the two dishes belong to entirely different culinary categories and cannot be compared simply because both have a soft texture.
Shashi Tharoor further explained that Rasgulla is light and spongy so it can absorb sugar syrup, whereas Idli is a savoury steamed dish designed to be eaten with sambar, chutney or spice powders. He also defended the Idli passionately, calling it a brilliant example of traditional food science and nutrition.
In a generalised version of his remarks, Shashi Tharoor said Idli represents a carefully balanced fermented food that combines taste, health and culinary skill. He argued that reducing such a dish to a dessert comparison ignored its cultural and nutritional importance.
He added that if someone dislikes Rasgulla, they are free to criticise the sweet directly, but Idli should not be dragged into the debate unnecessarily.
Here is Shashi Tharoor’s tweet:
https://x.com/ShashiTharoor/status/2055988584969060576
The exchange soon inspired hundreds of funny and creative reactions online. One user posted a philosophical comment comparing the origins of both Rasgulla and Idli through nature and human consciousness. Another jokingly requested Shashi Tharoor to organise an “Idli fest” and recalled an old interview where he mentioned freezing Idlis during his time in the United States.
Several users also praised Shashi Tharoor’s command of English. One person joked that even ChatGPT learns vocabulary from him, while another said their “daily dose of English” was incomplete without reading his posts online.
What an explanation!
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