Street food rules the roost, regular food joints must innovate to survive

Street foods have become a craze not only in India but also all over the world. It is difficult to pinpoint the exact time when the first street food outlet was born. There used to be jhal muri and fuchka at locations that had attractive footfalls like in front of cinema halls or parks. As far as my memory goes, one of the first street food outlets appeared in Kolkata in the 1970s. They came in the form of handcarts and the products used to be egg rolls. The owner was usually an unemployed young man who chose this method to earn a living. He did not have to pay any rent, employ people, or provide any seating arrangement. In fact, his overheads were minimum. He had to have adequate stock of ingredients like eggs, flour, cooking oil, onions, chilies, utensils, kerosene stove and kerosene etcetera. LPG was non-existent in those days. Of course, he might have had the blessings of people who matter. The fact is that the culture spread like wildfire. Restaurants had to innovate in order to survive the challenges posed by street food.

Taking food on the roadside with a background music of honking vehicles is a unique experience. The men and women who are clamoring for the food would be strangers and the heady fragrance of perfume might create a spell. It might force you to turn your head around for a moment. In the early days, street food outlets would open in the evening and the only problem would be the rainy season. However, with the passage of time things have changed. (To be continued ..)

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