While Indian cuisine has spread its magic across the world with curries and masalas, Indian street food is only recently finding the right footing in the international kitchens. Yet, Indian street food has evolved nationally and internationally, leading to a new wave of gastronomers lining up outside Indian restaurants and cafes. And new-age chefs are not shying away from experimenting and offering an authentic taste of the Indian streets.
Why do people love street food around the world?
This is one question that every food lover across the world would love to answer. The only catch is that you won’t receive just a single reason for their love. Let’s find out a few of them:
Street food is cheap! Okay, whether it is Indian street food or Malaysian, street food is cheap. It is a blessing for middle and lower-class people who lack sufficient income or those who are unemployed. While that is true, street food is delicious enough to cater to everyone without the dilemma of social strata.
The aroma is enough to catch your attention. Imagine walking your way back from work, and the smell of a roadside dish hits you. You are bound to stop and ponder twice before deciding to help yourself. Even if you are full and stuffed, there is always some space in your tummy for a roadside delicacy.
The hungry animal instincts. Let’s admit it! Street food brings out the hungry animal inside us. The juicy flavours and the explosion of different sauces in our mouths – that’s something we all crave. And this craving can only be relaxed by a street food vendor. When we do get hold of that street food, it unleashes an animal that we did not realise we had until we took the first bite. And we love it!
The sheer diversity of Indian street food
Since we are talking about Indian street food, it is natural to expect diversity in it like everything else from this country – be it biodiversity, ethnicity, language, culture, or food. Every Indian state and city has something unique to offer when it comes to street food. You cannot walk through the streets of Indore without tasting Poha and Jalebi. You cannot muster the strength to catch a local train in Mumbai without filling yourself with Vadapav. And your exploration of the royal state of Rajasthan will remain incomplete without taste the famous Bikaneri-Kachori.
Why is Indian street food so popular?
During the last decade, the street food picture in India has grown spectacularly. One of the reasons behind this growth is the high demand in the local food market. With the industry emphasising cleanliness, hygiene, freshness and taste, its local market share has also grown. This has opened a door for Indian street food to reach out to the world. Local Michelin star chefs are keen to offer the local street food taste to their international clients. And the global audience is noticing!
Today, people are more open to trying new cuisines, and even though Indian cuisine is old and pretty common worldwide, Indian street food is a step-up. It offers a fresh breath of spices and flavours that Indian cuisines as a whole required. There is an endless list of items on the Indian street food menu, and the more you delve into it, the more you realise its significance to the Indian people.