Globalising GolGappas

There is a famous saying :-
“You are what you eat “, a metaphorical expression implying – what we eat affects our lives.

During my childhood days, that are long gone, picnics meant outdoor fun and outings.

Apart from looking forward to such picnics, the major attraction was the big hot case mommies carried along with them containing homemade food, which was obviously a hit case then.

Yes ! it was a hit case in the hot case.

But nowadays every nook and corner of the city or village is buzzing with packets of chips, biscuits and crates of aerated drinks.

Natural vegetables and fruits are a rare commodity today. Either too expensive coming under the tag of being “organic” , or otherwise laced with harmful chemicals.

So there is not much of a difference between junk and healthy, in fact junk food gives us the label of being healthy, which of course in hidden language means you are fat, but a polite way of saying so.

Call it a comfort food or convenience food, it is the concept of the West, which we have obediently imbibed in our day to day lifestyles , though the West is slowly abandoning their very own idea.

Instant food, door step delivery, to ready to cook meals and chopped vegetables/fruits has made life much more easier for many, saving upon their time but making them deficient of nutritional value.

Pizzas, pastas , burgers and noodles are all outsiders, harming our bodies from inside .Once a while it is Okay, but to include them in day to day eating would be rather injurious to us.

Why don’t we imbibe our rich culture in once in a while concept and shift our focus to more desi desirable stuff called the Golgappas, which also happens to be a Junk food , but of rather different kinds , for me at least.

I’m in no way propagating the consumption of fast food but it is rather my tribute to the worthy Golgappas, which I consume in moderation but cannot give up.

Well! so here I am, to proudly introduce the worthy protagonist of my write-up, the flavourful “Golgappas “.

So let’s just refresh our memories about our very own desi junk, also known as panipuri, gulgulle and phuchkas. Call it anything , but each time I taste it, I just go weak in the knees.

I fall in love with it all over again.

With age my love has grown by leaps and bounds. Well it’s just progressing with age.

Despite of all the odds and rat race it has still been able to maintain its place in our hearts, rather ruled our hearts .

Though there were many invasions in the past but it has stood the test of time, firmly grounded to its roots.

Despite of facing humiliation in its own country and labelled as a being a street food and the others coming from West proudly displaying themselves in the air-conditioned shops, Golgappas have still managed to sustain in such conditions and continues to be a major hit amongst the masses, especially the ladies. It’s the comfort snack of the Aam Aadmi.

Despite of being a chartbuster and topping all chaats , oops sorry , I mean the charts of popularity ,it manages to stay so humble. Easy to access and avail. It represents india in true sense , where it stands for all flavours, from sweet to spicy , from tangy to sour, it represents ‘unity in diversity’ , available throughout the country , now also exploring foreign lands.

One of the most adjusting snack , like us the Indians, providing different varieties of its flavour, according to our taste buds.

Well ! How can i just forget, when my aunt landed in India from The US of A , the very first place she visited from the airport was the Golgappa stall on the roadside.

Like a monk with a bowl in her hand , she stood in front of the man on the kiosk selling these divine eatables.

How ecstatic she became , the moment she gulped down her first piece of heavenly delight and bliss.

There were tears of joy or was it the spice quotient that led to such outpourings, God knows , but yes, one thing that surely could be seen was the feeling of fulfilment in her .

Though the competition was stiff as others those who were waiting for their turn were giving her tough time , the moment she missed her chance or momentum, the other competitor would put forward his or her claim to fame of consumption, I mean their plates for their turn and share.

But she did not give up, and sternly she directed the golgappe wala bhaiya for her fair share, as she kept a strict vigil on the numbers consumed.

There was not a single awkward moment, from opening her mouth wide open to greedily gulping it down without chewing.

Well this public display of affection for Golgappas, can only be known to an Indian, where there is no shy moment, and majority of country men and women will vouch for it.

Neither this food is limited by seasons nor by space constraints, and while consuming it , trust me , no one can cheat us, so it also teaches us “our value for money”, which no pizza, burgers or pasta would.

The consumer and seller are both at the profitable best, for the consumer it is the treat to the taste buds and for the seller, to be surrounded by hordes of people that too, mostly ladies, is a treat in itself. Though the poor seller may get hassled at times, by constant complaints by the clients for wanting more , so maintaining pace is a slight problem there, apart from it , ladies asking for extra sukhi poori or extra water can be a bit irritating , but then it is our birthright to ask for it, otherwise the whole ritual of consuming Golgappas goes waste.

Well in terms of popularity, he is one lucky guy, mostly referred as golgappe wala bhaiya, . His stall is mostly in demand at any function or party.

Ever wondered , how such a small thing encloses within itself the world full of taste and flavours. A hollow sphere, in which the vendor makes a hole, shoves in the stuffing and then plunges this magical ball into the sea of spiced liquid. The moment the vendor places this world full of spices on to our plates, the feeling of fulfillment just grabs us, our moment of glory , as it just pops into my mouth, an explosion of flavours, the crunchy sound ,a world full of taste grabs me, what else do I need , why should I leave this indian invention, a humble recipe which serves all, Prince to Pauper anyone can afford it and consume in a humble way, as well. It is not just an appetizer, but also food for the brain and the soul.

It also teaches great lessons on life as well, knowledge about various flavours, it’s taste teaches us about our preferences, it also teaches , how to negotiate with the vendor for that extra piece of round crispy ball. Standing and waiting for our turn , teaches us to be patient as well as how to be a leveller or equivalent to others or treat others the same way. At times when other junk food gives us that constipated feeling , Golgappas may help us to clear our tummies and make us feel much lighter.

It is absolutely a miraculous snack, which can never go wrong , an adventure in itself, the orbs of temptation, with each bite I reach the state of trance and I’m not sorry for not giving up upon you my yummy Golgappas.

And now we do have the stamp of approval for this worthy Indian street food from our very own honourable Prime Minister and his Japanese counterpart, as they recently relished over this delicacy loaded with flavours affirming our beliefs.

So do enjoy your panipuri / golgappe to the fullest.