Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: One thing..., there is always some smell of onion or garlic here. This place, very often there is smell from cooking of garlic or onions. It is coming from those houses.
Prabhupāda: Tenant.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.
Prabhupāda: They eat.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They eat meat.
Prabhupāda: It is not meat. They are eating garlic. Those Christian tenant, they are eating. And onion everyone eats.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Except for us. Americans are very fond of onions. Yeah. They can eat a whole onion sometimes in one meal. They eat raw. Especially in the salad they will put onions.
Prabhupāda: For a meat-eater, onion is very sweet.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: For fish eater.
Prabhupāda: And fish eater.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Fish, meats.
Prabhupāda: Actually, meat has no taste. The onion creates taste.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Dead flesh.
Prabhupāda: Onion is used. Onions. In India both Hindus and Muslims eat. More than potato, it is said.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Hm. Potato is king of vegetables.
Prabhupāda: We have seen many canvassers. (calling like street vendor:) "Batata."
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Hm.
Prabhupāda: Kanda Batata. Everyone has to eat. The Maharastrians, they eat, even the brāhmaṇas. In 1927, I came to Bombay and stayed in the Empire Hindu Hotel. I think it is still there. Very nice hotel. So it is under Maharastrians. Very neat and clean everything. Gave me onions. "What is this? Onions?" I was surprised. "I don't eat."
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He must have been surprised that you wouldn't eat it.
Prabhupāda: Well, they know... Mostly Hindus they do not eat. But they are accustomed now. Just like Bengal, fish eating is no offense.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Even the brāhmaṇas.
Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Brāhmaṇa, gosāis, so-called gurus.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: When has this all begun, this fish-eating in Bengal? This was always going on?
Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Fish, ninety-nine percent people take fish in Bengal. Only few, they do not. When there is some, what is called, ceremony, fish must be there. (break) And fish is available. Now Bengal is divided. Otherwise, immense fish in Bengal.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: From the east side of Bengal. And rice was coming from there too.
Prabhupāda: So their staple food is rice and fish.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: East Bengal is very wealthy from that point of view. Rice.
Prabhupāda: Pakistan was rich only on account of East Bengal. The pān. Practically it supplies pān to all over India. And betel nut.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's a place that we have not...
Prabhupāda: And milk also produced in very large quantity. East Bengal is rich in vegetables, milk, fish. (end)