Many times, the bond between a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law can be quite complicated, and something as trivial as food can also shift the family power dynamics. Sometimes, it’s better to wisely tackle these dynamics rather than fight over it.

Just like Reddit user coffeebeans2836, whose Indian mother-in-law got all upset if she didn’t eat her spicy food, so the Chinese lady did the same with her and acted upset when she refused to eat her food. For now, her smart revenge helped get the woman off her back, as she no longer makes her eat her food!

More info: Reddit

It’s quite crazy, but even something as simple as food can disrupt family power dynamics

Image credits: wirestock / Freepik (not the actual photo)

The poster’s Indian mother-in-law takes offense when she’s not able to eat the spicy food she makes

Image credits: coffeebeans2836

Image credits: Freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)

Sick of being guilt-tripped by the lady, she turns the tables by cooking Chinese food and asking her to eat it

Image credits: coffeebeans2836

Image credits: stockking / Freepik (not the actual photo)

She knows that her mother-in-law dislikes Chinese food as she had told her on their first meeting as the poster is Chinese

Image credits: coffeebeans2836

Her petty revenge worked wonderfully as the woman no longer tries to force her to eat her spicy food

In today’s story, we dive into a “cold food war” that the original poster found herself in with her Indian mother-in-law. The thing is, this woman thinks that she is the best cook in the world and everyone should love and eat her food, but it’s common knowledge that Indian food can be spicy, not all of course, but some, yes!

OP eats whatever she can but she can’t really tolerate the spicy stuff, and her mother-in-law always guilt-trips her whenever she refuses to have something. To be honest, it’s quite rich coming from this woman because when she met OP for the first time, she straight up told her that she doesn’t like Chinese food, as the poster is Chinese.

Whenever she tries to guilt-trip the poster, her partner always comes to her rescue, but still, it gets awkward and puts her on the spot, so she decides to reverse the tale on her mother-in-law. Now when they meet, OP cooks Chinese food for her and claims how excited she is to cook for her, but of course, the woman is now trying to wriggle out of the same situation she put the poster in.

When she does make excuses, OP also guilt-trips her and says that it’s entertaining to watch her make excuses, and even we can imagine the fun she must be having! Anyway, her tactic really worked, and ever since, her mother-in-law has refrained from making her eat spicy Indian food against her will, so a good ending for the poster!

Folks online were delighted to hear of the petty revenge that OP took on her mother-in-law, and all the foodies thronged in the comments, proclaiming their love or hate for both of these popular cuisines. To get some culinary expertise about this matter, Bored Panda interviewed Sakshi Kulkarni, a chef at the 5-star restaurant Soho House in Mumbai.

Image credits: jcomp / Freepik (not the actual photo)

She believes that personal and cultural food preferences play a huge role in shaping a person’s relationship with food. “From an early age, people develop tastes and habits based on what they are exposed to at home, in their communities, and through cultural traditions. Food isn’t just about sustenance—it’s tied to identity, emotions, and even social expectations.”

Sakshi claimed that adjusting to a different cuisine can be difficult for any person and forcing someone to eat it even when they don’t want to is actually disrespectful to the food itself. Spoken like a true chef, right? Well, we do agree with her because OP eats what she can but forcing her to eat spicy food when she can’t even bear it and then guilt-tripping her for refusing just sounds ridiculous.

Sakshi believes that this dislike for a whole category of food sounds quite narrow-minded. She stressed that dismissing an entire cuisine, especially without trying its full range, often overlooks its diversity.

“Rather than ranking cuisines, it’s more meaningful to appreciate them for what they offer, whether it’s the bold spices of Indian food, the delicate balance of flavors in Chinese cuisine, or the comforting richness of Italian pasta dishes. At the end of the day, taste is personal, but an open mind toward different cuisines allows for new experiences and a greater appreciation of the culinary world,” our expert concluded.

Looks like the mother-in-law could really learn something from our chef, wouldn’t you agree? What are your thoughts about how OP handled it, and if you have any cuisines that you love, feel free to share everything with us in the comments!

Folks online loved how she dished out the perfect revenge, while others debated over their love and hate for the two cuisines

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