I’ve taken on a challenge, a project, a search, a quest if you like, to find the best Birmingham Balti. Why? Because I’ve been asked to speak as a ‘local food expert’ at an event in July 2010 – the topic is the origins of the Birmingham Balti – and quite frankly I’m scared. Although I’ve eaten and loved them for 9 years since first moving to Birmingham, I’m certainly not a Balti expert. So, I thought, I better get doing some research. Now there’s going to be other experts speaking who know a lot more than me about the Birmingham Balti, and there’ll be chefs there talking about the finer points of the ingredients and cooking style, so what’s left to research?
I’m going to take a look at the Balti from the perspective of the inquisitive eater, using my tastebuds, stomach, and general ignorance as my primary research tools. And I’ve set up a new blog to document my progress at http://perfectbalti.wordpress.com. I’ll be posting food reviews for sure, but I’m hoping to delve a little deeper, ask some questions, meet the owners and chefs, take some photos, discover the culture, stroke the underbelly, and hopefully present an overview of what a Balti-eater can and should expect. And who knows perhaps along the way I’ll find the perfect Balti…