Yep, Snowflake Alert. Having worked in offices since I was 16, I can say from experience that it is the rare office that doesn’t discourage strong smelling food being reheated or cooked in the kitchen or break room area.
The fact is, no matter how delicious that food is, if it smells strongly it is unappealing to most people to smell it all day, especially for clients or customers entering the office.
That doesn’t just apply to Indian or Asian food, but also applies to fish, dishes with lots of onions or garlic, or even sausage and sauerkraut. I dare her to burn a bag of popcorn in her office and not get the Evil Eye. That stuff is pervasive and will not go away soon. May as well just light a tire on fire and be done with it.
It’s not racism or bigotry to not want stinky smells in your office. Nor is it racist or bigoted to think someone should use a fork or a spoon (or chopsticks) since those things are readily available in the US.
Peach
The problem is those raised on an Indian diet heavy with turmeric, cumin, curry, and other spices cannot perceive the aroma like people not raised on that diet.
The nose “saturates” with odor. Try smelling a rose with three or more whiffs. By the fourth whiff, you can’t smell the rose any more!