Street foods of India are a delicacy that hardly any Indian can resist. As we grow up and get accustomed to the different types of mouthwatering food available outside home, these delectable edibles become a part of our daily life.
Be it chaat, puchka or the famous momo, the locals of any place will definitely have something or the other on offer with the vendor’s stalls generally found outdoors having a rooftop and easily available by roadside. Mostly the stalls rely on word of mouth publicity for their marketing. Street food trade is mostly owned by individuals or family and is helpful for the local economy as well.
These Indian street foods get the motivation from numerous sources but echo the native taste very well. These well known and yummy as well as reasonable street food represent a noteworthy alteration and adjustment to the evolving times.
Some people avoid street food as it is considered unhealthy, and it’s really praiseworthy that they are able to do it. But sometime or the other they can give in or maybe just try out some of these treats, and believe me as their taste buds get the shock of the savor, they won’t be able to refuse a second helping.
HYGIENE FACTOR
Like Sheldon of ‘The Big Bang Theory’ who is very much into sanitation, there are similar people who are quite worried about the hygiene of these street foods. Even though we Indians are drawn to such affordable tasty food, it is also necessary to look into the cleanliness of the place where they are cooked. Most of these vendors do not follow the hygiene protocol of covering food and water, which may attract flies or rodents. Some vendors ignore the places where they sell the food; several of the sites are not tidy enough which might infect the food. These vendors are hardly aware that such unhealthy means of handling food can be the cause of food poisoning or stomach diseases. And the waste disposal system of these sellers is also somewhat questionable.
HEALTH CONCERNS
Most of the street foods like aloo tikki, kachori, aloo filled samosas, chole bhature, pav bhaji are deep fried and high in fat and sodium, and low in fiber, vitamins and minerals. Food is the delicacy of life, especially the street food. It is easy to cook and bombard our taste buds with those pungent bites.
It may occur to the people who are working out in the gym or dieting to shed those extra kilos that these fried foods, if consumed daily, will hamper their weight loss regime. Cutting out these appetizing foods is hard for the ones who are real foodies and those who have the will power to do it should pat themselves on the back.
EMOTION BEHIND STREET FOOD
It may be absurd to some but eating a plate of momos or enjoying the sweet and tangy puchka with your dear buds is something that cannot be replaced. Whether it’s an after office snack or hunger after the long lecture of the professors or just plain hanging out and eating chowmein, the chit chats and the giggles and those silly jokes is something which make these street foods even more delicious and irresistible. Even simply eating a packet of chips and sharing a bottle of Coca Cola can also be enjoyable with endless gossips and sharing of pains and lots of memories with your friends.
From momos to chaat or from aloo tikki to jalebis, every sweet and sour food is needed to enjoy the flavors of life with our close ones. The desire to have a fit and healthy body is greatly appreciated in today’s stylish world, but in the end if you are left alone just because you never wanted to eat those deep fried foods then it will all seem a waste.
And a particular category of street food, puchkas are essentially every die hard Indian foodie’s delight. The burst of flavors in your mouth as you pop up one of those crisp balls sends your taste buds on a wonder ride. And if this wonder treat happens to be spicy enough to leave you wagging your tongue with its explodes, then it’s definitely your route to penance, the Indian way!
Also check out our pick of the top three spiciest dishes in the world.
Even if you don’t want to eat it, you can just be a part of the gang and accompany them to such unhygienic places without getting icky. And once in a while have a cheat day and revel in these foods, you may forget the taste of that particular dish but you will always remember the fun and lively time you had with your friends every time you pass by that stall.
