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India’s street vendors are the essence of our country's food industry
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Thursday, 10 December, 2020, 13 : 00 PM [IST]
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Ritesh Tulsian
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Indian street food has a very special gastronomic place in India’s food history and culture. Indian street food is probably the first thing that comes to the mind of food lovers when they think or talk about food. Indian street foods are known worldwide for their taste, diversity and easy accessibility and available all across the country whether it’s a metropolitan city or a small town or a village.
As there is no conclusive documented history of Indian street food so it’s not easy to know exactly when it began but as per the popular belief street food in India became popular in Delhi when the Mughal Emperor, Shah Jahan moved his capital from Agra to Delhi. Chaats the most popular variety of street food available across India today was first introduced in Old Delhi to the vegetarian traders as a mid day meal by chaat specialist cooks that were invited from Varanasi to Delhi to set shop by the officials of the Mughal Dynasty.
Another variety of street food is Kebabs, Nihari, Biryani, Kormas, etc., also seen gaining a lot of acceptance amongst the middle income group of the inhabitants of old Delhi who loved their meat and relished gorging on these amazing delicacies served either for breakfast or anytime during the day.
Halwai’s (Indian pastry chefs) from Rajasthan, UP and other Indian states opened their business in crowded and bustling commercial market places of Delhi, Kolkata and other North Indian cities and offered variety of vegetarian options as mini meals or snacks to busy traders and shoppers looking for a quick, economical and wholesome products. Also Indian sweets became a part an integral part of all Indian Festivals and are even today are equally enjoyed across cultures and regional cuisines.
‘Main toh raste se jaa raha tha, main toh bhel puri kha raha tha'. Almost everyone would be familiar with this very famous 90,s Bollywood track. Not only does it aptly depict the actual Indian street food scene but is also enough to make you grab a plate of bhel puri right away. When it comes to street food, India tops the charts. Food and beverages that are usually sold on streets by hawkers and vendors in portable stalls and carts is what is termed as street food. Move over aloo chaat’s and tikkis as India has got lots to offer. Be it north, south, east or west, every region of India has its own specialty. Made with a mélange of exotic spices and ingredients, Indian street food is one of its kinds. Apart from Indians, a lot of foreign travelers swear by Indian street food as well.
Why is street food loved across the nation so much?
Ask any food lover who loves to eat at a roadside food stall as to why they're so fond of street food? We bet, you won't just get a single reason, because there are so many reasons behind the cravings for street food throughout the world. To name a few:
• Street foods are the cheapest. For people who don't have a sufficient income, people who are bored of eating a home-cooked meal, unemployed people, Indian street food comes as a blessing for everyone. No matter who you are or what your financial status is, street food is something that fits everyone's pockets.
• Many times when you walk on the road, the smell of some roadside dish hits you, and you decide to stop and have a plate of your favorite food item. And even if you're full, you still choose to have it, because there's always a particular space reserved for such mouth-watering food.
• Ever observed the people who eat roadside food? If you did, then you must be aware of the way they eat - some are slurping, some are licking their fingers; some are just busy smelling the food before they finally decide to eat. This is why most people love eating at the roadside. It feels great to eat the way you want to, to eat like a hungry animal and still not get judged. Because let's be honest, everyone over there does the same thing.
• Who would doubt the authenticity of this sentence when we say that street foods are tasty! You won't find a single food stall across the world where people don't enjoy the taste of the food they're offered.
The vast variety of Indian street food
India is a country where you will find diversity in everything. The difference in culture, diversity in languages spoken, a variety of people, and diversity in food as well. Every Indian state, every Indian city has its specialty when it comes to street food.
Can you roam the streets of Indore without having the mouth-watering 'Poha and Jalebi' which is the finest street food and specialty of Indore? Can you walk through the busy and crowded lanes of Mumbai without grasping a 'Vada Pav'? What about the lip-smacking 'Aloo Tikkis' of Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh or the most popular 'Idlis and Vada-Sambhar' of Chennai? Jhal Mudi, Kolkata Style Kathi Kebab Rolls, Mughlai Paratha or the Fish Fry from the streets of Kolkata will make you stop right what you are doing as you won't be able to resist the temptation! When it comes to street food, no other country can beat India where not just one or two or three, but every single state and city has its variety of delicacies.
Talk about the famous 'Bikaneri-Kachori' of the royal state of Rajasthan, India. Bikaner is noted for its amazing cuisines and delectable street foods. Not just Bikaneri-Kachori, the desert state is also favourite for its famous Dal-Baati Churma and Pakoras. These food items can be found in almost every street stall of Bikaner.
What makes Indian street food so popular?
The popularity of Indian street food can be known from the very fact that every day millions of people from different regions prefer to eat roadside food from various street vendors. According to our Ancient Hindu Dietary rules, there are two concepts when it comes to food - Kaccha food and Pakka food. These concepts are still at play even today. Kaccha food was traditionally only consumed at home because Kaccha food such as rice and dal require certain kind of purifying rituals to deliver them safe for people to eat whereas Pakka food items can be securely consumed outside one's house. Hence, Indian street foods are generally made from the Pakka food items because that's what is acceptable amongst most consumers.
If we take a look at the health and hygiene aspect of Indian street food today, it is no more unclean or unhealthy (unless you eat from some very rearward area.) You will find that almost every other Indian street food vendor uses vegetables, pulses as well as many ayurvedic spices such as garlic and turmeric. All these healthy ingredients add to the richness of street food. Moreover, many street vendors these days wear disposable gloves to avoid any health problems.
Some people in India often try to stay away from roadside stalls because they're concerned about the hygiene. But if you ask me, Indian street foods are way much healthy, better, and freshly cooked. It satisfies us to see that the food that we're going to eat is cooked right in front of our eyes. What can be better than this? The street vendors of India make a living out of their stalls, so they'll always make sure to satisfy their customers so that the customers visit again. And which is why they also make sure that the food is not only tasty but at the same time fresh and hygienic. It is why we Indians can proudly say that our street foods are the best and the most popular ones.
(The author is consultant chef and partner at HCS Global Corp. He can be reached at tulsian.ritesh@gmail.com)
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