‘A truly great Idli is a dream’: Shashi Tharoor shuts down Idli critic with viral tweet

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, known for his literary flair, once again showcased his command over the English language—this time in defence of a humble South Indian staple: the idli.

The exchange began on social media when a user quipped that idli tastes like "steamed regret." The post quickly gained traction, prompting a flavorful rebuttal from Thiruvananthapuram MP Tharoor, who wasn’t about to let the beloved breakfast item be slandered.

“Poor soul has clearly never had a good one,” Tharoor wrote, setting the tone for a tweet that soon became a viral sensation.

“A truly great idli is a cloud, a whisper, a perfect dream of the perfectibility of human civilisation,” he continued. “It's a sublime creation, a delicate, weightless morsel of rice and lentil, steamed to an ethereal fluffiness that melts on the tongue.”

The Congress leader, a known connoisseur of words and culture, didn’t stop there. “With the right accompaniments, it is the culinary equivalent of a Beethoven symphony, a Tagore sangeet, a Husain painting, a Tendulkar century,” he added.

To call idli "regret," he said, is to miss the essence of South Indian culinary culture.

“To call such a thing 'regret' is to have no soul, no palate, no appreciation for the finest achievements of South Indian culture. I can only feel pity…”