Street food and India

It is often said that one cannot separate culture from a human once he or she has been fully dissolved in it. Food too is one element that cannot be separated from us, and that also depends on the region or State one belongs to. In India, it is not just the taste but the emotions associated with it also have such a huge impact on our psyche.

Even with the so-called western foods making their mark in India, people never really get tired of street food, and hygiene is often the last thing on our minds. As one lovingly gorges on the delicacies of different States, there is a sense of nostalgia, a desire to get away from home-cooked food.

Be it the ‘paranthe wali gali’ or any such popular food arena, what association we have with it is often hard to describe; you have to savour it yourself. From

dal bati choorma to

gol gappe , there is no end to the range.

The fact that each State in India has its own delicacy makes it even more memorable. When one sees people collecting around a vendor, the cooking done in the open, often using excess oil, one forgets all food-related worries, be it diabetes or something else. It does not matter whether we are served in paper plates or eat it by hand. It is affordable, accessible, and there is hardly any waiting.

A street food festival recently made its way to the national capital. Delicacies from all over the country were available under one roof — Galouti Kebab from Lucknow, Hyderabadi biryani , fish curry from Kerala, paranthas from Punjab, and many more. As many of us are unable to go to each State, this was a convenient way to choose from more than 50 delicacies all at one time.

adityatheeditor @outlook.com