India, Feb. 4 -- I first realised how little control I have over my better judgement while standing by the roadside with a plate of churumuri in my hand, watching traffic move past in uneven bursts as dust settled gently on everything except my attention. The vendor mixed puffed rice, onions, chilli and lemon with a speed that came from long practice rather than care and although I knew enough to pause and consider the setting, I also knew enough to continue. The first mouthful resolved the debate because familiar taste has a way of silencing all competing arguments without asking for permission.

That moment captures my relationship with street food, which is never accidental but chosen with awareness and accepted with consequences. Acro...