Australian YouTuber slams Indian food for its ‘dirt spices’, gets trolled

An Australian YouTuber found herself on the receiving end of the internet after she slammed Indian food for its “dirt spices”.
Dr Sydney Watson was brutally trolled for her comment as social media users schooled her on the historical and cultural importance of Indian cuisine.
It all began when an X user – Jeff – shared a post praising Indian food, declaring, “Indian food is the best on earth. Fight me.” He also posted a photo of several vibrant curries and rice.
The post has clocked over 25 million views as food lovers around the world celebrated the richness of Indian cuisine.
Take a look at the post here:
But the celebratory tone didn’t last long. Dr Watson, seemingly unimpressed, said, “It really, really isn’t”. Her remark opened the floodgates for online discourse, but it was her follow-up comment that truly angered the users.
Watson added, “If your food requires you to put dirt spices all over it in order for it to be palatable, your food is not good.”
Take a look at Watson’s comment here:
Her words, which have garnered over eight million views, did not sit well with social media users. Several users jumped to the defence of Indian food, providing Watson with a quick history lesson.
“This is a blatant cope coming from a group that was so desperate for spices that they had to colonise much of the world for it. And even after all that, they still could not make properly spiced food and had to make an Indian dish, Chicken Tikka Masala, the national dish in their home country. Just accept that your culinary culture sucks and move on, rather than making up such convoluted copes,” a user said.
Another user added, “European countries used to go to war for control over the spice trade in India.”
Several users added a dash of sarcasm, as one of them said, “Funny how ‘dirt spices’ have given birth to some of the most coveted cuisines in the world. I’ll take flavour over bland any day.”
Another user said, “Indian food is a celebration of culture, tradition, and love. If you don’t like it, that’s your loss.”
The criticism didn’t stop there. Several users pointed out the global love for Indian dishes, with one user saying, “The obsession with Indian curries across the world speaks for itself.”
Another user added, “Still, you people take turmeric shots in fancy bottles, ginger shots, ashwagandha in capsules. You have no clue about the history of Indian food.”
See the comments here:
Despite the backlash, Dr Sydney Watson’s comments have kept the debate alive, but if there’s one thing this conversation has proven, it’s that the legacy and flavour of Indian cuisine are not to be underestimated.