Bored Panda works better on our iPhone app
Continue in app Continue in browser

The Bored Panda iOS app is live! Fight boredom with iPhones and iPads here.

DIL Beats MIL At Her Own Game, Serves Chinese After She Complains About Her Not Eating Indian Food
DIL Beats MIL At Her Own Game, Serves Chinese After She Complains About Her Not Eating Indian Food

DIL Beats MIL At Her Own Game, Serves Chinese After She Complains About Her Not Eating Indian Food

Interview With Expert

40

ADVERTISEMENT

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

RELATED:

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

    Woman with blue scarf sitting at a table, highlighting cultural dynamics in cooking between Chinese DIL and MIL.

    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

    Indian MIL irked by DIL's struggle with cooking, tables turn as DIL serves Chinese dishes.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Text discussing conflict between MIL's Indian cooking and DIL's preferences.

    Image credits: coffeebeans2836

    Indian dishes including samosas and curry on a wooden table.

    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

    Text describing a tense situation about cooking preferences between MIL and Chinese DIL.

    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT

    Chinese DIL puzzled by MIL's view on Chinese cuisine variety, sparks conversation.

    Image credits: coffeebeans2836

    Woman in white shirt in a living room, expressing concern over handling Indian cooking.

    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

    Text from a story about a MIL irked by DIL's handling of Indian cooking, contrast with Chinese serving.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Text exchange highlighting a DIL's revenge through Chinese cooking, challenging MIL's opinion on Indian dishes.

    Image credits: coffeebeans2836

    ADVERTISEMENT

    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.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    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.

    Chinese daughter-in-law smiling in kitchen with Indian and Chinese cooking ingredients.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    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.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    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.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    “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

    Discussion on cultural cooking differences between MIL and Chinese DIL, with suggestions for fusion dishes and understanding.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Comments discussing cooking challenges between Chinese daughter-in-law and Indian mother-in-law.

    Comment highlighting Indian and Chinese cuisine appreciation for leftovers.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Comment discussing strategy on cultural cooking differences between MIL and DIL.

    Comment about craving naan, spicy curries, Indian sweets, and Chinese food, highlighting cultural food diversity.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Comment suggesting blending Indian and Chinese cuisines for a harmonious dinner experience.

    Text comment on Chinese DIL serving food; references passive-aggression.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Comment mentioning a lucky guy with access to both homemade Chinese and Indian food.

    Comment saying, "Amazing. Revenge is a dish best served cold," related to Chinese DIL cooking story.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Reddit comment praising someone with "THIS is the way. Well done!

    Comment on Indian Chinese restaurant solution for MIL and DIL cooking conflict.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Comment discussing favorite Hakka (Chinese-Indian) food.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Indian MIL and Chinese DIL culinary fusion sparked by cultural cooking exchange.

    Text discussion about handling cultural differences in Indian cooking.

    Comment discussing cultural differences affecting Chinese DIL handling Indian cuisine preferences.

    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT

    Poll Question

    Total votes ·

    Thanks! Check out the results:

    Total votes ·
    Share on Facebook

    Explore more of these tags

    Rutuja Dumbre

    Rutuja Dumbre

    Writer, BoredPanda staff

    Read more »

    Hey, am Rutuja! A storyteller at heart and a writer at Bored Panda. I have a strange love for words, and I mostly survive on coffee which is the driving force behind my writing. I enjoy working on articles that purely entertain our readers. When am not writing or trekking, you can find me staying up late and watching all the matches of Football Club Barcelona!

    Read less »
    Rutuja Dumbre

    Rutuja Dumbre

    Writer, BoredPanda staff

    Hey, am Rutuja! A storyteller at heart and a writer at Bored Panda. I have a strange love for words, and I mostly survive on coffee which is the driving force behind my writing. I enjoy working on articles that purely entertain our readers. When am not writing or trekking, you can find me staying up late and watching all the matches of Football Club Barcelona!

    Rūta Zumbrickaitė

    Rūta Zumbrickaitė

    Author, BoredPanda staff

    Read more »

    Hi! Here at Panda's I'm responsible for Photo Editing and all of the things surrounding it. I love finding great, moody or even dramatic photos to fit the story. Besides that, I'm a proud owner of 3 cats with the silliest names and a bazillion plants<3You can find me at a makeup counter with headphones swatching all of the sparkly eyeshadows

    Read less »

    Rūta Zumbrickaitė

    Rūta Zumbrickaitė

    Author, BoredPanda staff

    Hi! Here at Panda's I'm responsible for Photo Editing and all of the things surrounding it. I love finding great, moody or even dramatic photos to fit the story. Besides that, I'm a proud owner of 3 cats with the silliest names and a bazillion plants<3You can find me at a makeup counter with headphones swatching all of the sparkly eyeshadows

    What do you think ?
    Scott Rackley
    Community Member
    8 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    How about you both bring that food over to my house, problem solved.

    Janelle Collard
    Community Member
    Premium
    8 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Some people have medical conditions + can't eat spicy food.

    Betsy S
    Community Member
    8 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Or they just don't like it and that's allowed too. Some people like cilantro and avocados. Other's think they're terrible. We are each permitted preferences. And spice level is non-negotiable. You cannot understand how someone else's taste buds process spice, so just don't. Spice level is personal and not for debate.

    Load More Replies...
    sweet emotion
    Community Member
    8 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Personally I could eat maybe one of MIL's meals (although I'm told tikka masala is actually Scottish) and three or four of OP's meals. But then I would cook them a table full of Hungarian food and blow their minds. ;-)

    UpupaEpops
    Community Member
    8 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Give chicken korma a try if you get the chance. 😉

    Load More Replies...
    Load More Comments
    Scott Rackley
    Community Member
    8 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    How about you both bring that food over to my house, problem solved.

    Janelle Collard
    Community Member
    Premium
    8 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Some people have medical conditions + can't eat spicy food.

    Betsy S
    Community Member
    8 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Or they just don't like it and that's allowed too. Some people like cilantro and avocados. Other's think they're terrible. We are each permitted preferences. And spice level is non-negotiable. You cannot understand how someone else's taste buds process spice, so just don't. Spice level is personal and not for debate.

    Load More Replies...
    sweet emotion
    Community Member
    8 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Personally I could eat maybe one of MIL's meals (although I'm told tikka masala is actually Scottish) and three or four of OP's meals. But then I would cook them a table full of Hungarian food and blow their minds. ;-)

    UpupaEpops
    Community Member
    8 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Give chicken korma a try if you get the chance. 😉

    Load More Replies...
    Load More Comments
    You May Like
    Related on Bored Panda
    Popular on Bored Panda
    Trending on Bored Panda
    Also on Bored Panda
    ADVERTISEMENT