Shruti Ganguly

Highly subjective takes on life's most interesting experiences.

What’s the most unexpected meal you’ve ever had?

Growing up in Oman, we spent a lot of weekends camping in the desert. One time, in Wahiba Sands, a group of Bedouins came across us and made us lamb. They dug a hole in the ground and cooked it with simple spices, but I will never forget the taste of that meal, with the meat just dropping off the bone. Not to mention the 360-degree sunset, followed by a dome of stars blanketing us.

A place with the wildest interior design?

Any place designed by Paola Navone. I am such a fan of her work! But beyond that, I think that the Falaknuma Palace owned by the Taj Group is fascinating. It was built in 1894 and is the former residence of the Nizam of Hyderabad. It has a European style, complete with frescoes and Venetian chandeliers.

What’s the most interesting tradition you’ve ever experienced?

My brother-in-law has an annual rotten fish, or rakfisk, party in Oslo in December. Rakfisk [an extremely pungent-smelling raw fish fermented for up to a year] is considered one of the most culturally important and iconic Norwegian recipes, and fermented fish is quite common in Scandinavia. We eat it on thin crackers with onions, sour cream, and a mustard sauce. I try to drink as much supplemental aquavit to make it through the evening.