In a moment that has left Indians both amused and proud, a video of New York City’s new mayor, Zohran Mamdani, nonchalantly munching on a Rajnigandha mouth
freshener during a street interview has taken the internet by storm. The viral clip, filmed in Brooklyn by content creator Nicolas Nuvan, captures Mamdani stepping out of a black SUV for a casual chat. When asked if he had eaten, Mamdani replied, “I did eat today.” Seconds later, he pulled out a pack of Rajnigandha silver pearls — saffron-blended cardamom seeds adored in India — and remarked, “I’ve also started having a lot of these… It’s like a mint.” He then offered some to Nuvan, who tried them and said, “Oh wow, that’s delicious… it feels like I’m consuming perfume. It tastes good, I like it.” To this, Mamdani grinned and replied, “Perfumes you can eat.”
The short exchange instantly caught fire online, with desi netizens flooding social media with humorous reactions. One user wrote, “No way he just ate Rajnigandha (South Asians will relate),” while another commented, “Omg never in my life I thought Rajnigandha will make it to New York.”
“Muh mai rajnigandha kadmon mai duniya. It’s true,” joked one viewer, and another quipped, “Got a Rajnigandha eating American politician before GTA 6.”
“Ab laga h bhai real Indian..... Rajnigandha. any way Love for you bro,” added another user.
Zohran Mamdani, who recently clinched victory in New York City’s mayoral race by defeating independent candidate Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa, has made history as the city’s first Muslim mayor and the youngest to hold the position in over a century.
