Many drunk people and almost no English speakers. For this Indian, Slovakia felt like a different world

Puneet Dhiman and his business partner have created a special fusion of Indian and Turkish food that is now known to many diners in the Slovak capital for its great taste – and because of the colorful decorations on the food truck from which they sell it.

Moving to Slovakia was a cultural shock for Dhiman, especially considering the fact that he had always been a vegetarian. "When I came here as a student in 2018, there was no concept of vegetarian food. I was a vegetarian till the age of 24. I never ate meat, and then I came here and I had no option, so I had to eat everything," he says. He explains how the relocation required him to change his way of life, and how he adapted to a new culture.

Not only did he struggle, at least at first, with the choice of food; he also faced some challenges communicating. To this day, he is still learning the Slovak language. Since marrying the Slovak podcaster Miška (creator of the ‘Sexuálna Výchova’, or ‘Sex Education’, podcast), he says that she has been helping him not only to learn the language but also to understand Slovak culture – and the distinctive ways that Slovaks communicate.

According to Dhiman, it is relatively straightforward to get a working visa and to start your own business in Slovakia if, like him, you were already living and studying in the country before you applied. One of his goals in the near future is to spread the tastes and culture of India to other European countries, and take his food-truck business to the next level.