Overview

• Tharoor responded to an X user who said idli tastes like “steamed regret,” calling the critic a “poor soul” who has never had a good one.
• He described a great idli as “a cloud, a whisper, a perfect dream” and likened it to a Beethoven symphony, a Tagore song, a Husain painting and a Tendulkar century.
• Alongside the post, he shared what outlets described as an AI-generated image of himself preparing idlis in traditional attire.
• The posts circulated widely over the weekend, with users praising the humorous, literary defense and sharing their own affection for the South Indian staple.
• Several reports added context on idli’s debated origins, citing historians who point to Indonesian steamed rice cakes and fermentation techniques spread through trade.