At the University of Colorado, Boulder, a dispute over reheating palak paneer in a shared microwave led to a major clash. In September 2023, Aditya Prakash, a 34-year-old anthropology PhD student, was told to stop microwaving his curry because it was “pungent.” Prakash challenged the complaint, saying that smell sensitivity is cultural and questioned, "How many groups face racism because they eat broccoli?" Instead of cooling down, the situation escalated. The university accused Prakash’s food reheating of making staff “feel unsafe.” His colleague Urmi Bhattacharyya faced punishment after using the incident in class and sharing Indian food on campus; her teaching assistantship was cut, and the group was accused of “inciting a riot.” The university also delayed awarding their master’s degrees, holding them back over the conflict. The pair took legal action, and in autumn 2025, Colorado University settled for $200,000, granting the degrees but banning both students from campus for life. Officials denied wrongdoing and followed procedures, but the episode shows the risks when cultural sensitivity clashes with daily life. Prakash returned to India, exhausted and unwilling to come back. The university also removed references to “pungent food” in its rules. This saga highlights the fiery cost when campus spice levels become a battleground.