or many of us, memories of school lunch breaks are inextricably woven with strands of a sticky and spicy substance forked up hungrily from teddy-shaped lunch boxes. And we all had our own versions of it. Some liked it (for inexplicable reasons) cold and congealed, with the tastemaker sprinkled liberally all over. Others liked it with generous helpings of butter, onions, beans and peas and every conceivable add on, served with dollops of ketchup. And there were those who preferred it as a soupy mass, with the extra water spooned up with great relish.

We may no longer trade our lunch boxes, but some things have not changed. The way Maggi from Nestl� India (sales in 2003: ... more