What! No. Eeeew," goes our colleague when we offer her a pork dish with snails. Her restricted palate, you see, is repelled by the idea of viscous meat that you have to suck out of a hard shell after cracking it with your teeth. Well, more fool she, because as far as we are concerned, it's love at first bite when we try hoksa with escargot, a Manipuri dish from Kalina's Thotrin Café.

So, let's use this article to send out a plea to her, and all other non-vegetarians who limit themselves to the staid options of chicken, mutton, pork and — if you can lay your hands on it in this city — beef. The world is your oyster, after all. So, go on, don't be scared. Open up your taste buds to other possibilities.