Sunday, January 24, 2010

BBC goes to Mumbai

BBC News decided to explore the Mumbai street food culture this weekend. And its journalist Ben Richardson really pushed the boundaries on the subject by taking us all the way to (yawn! yawn!) Chowpatty and Bade Mian’s in Colaba.

Of course, street food is hugely popular in Mumbai. (It is cheap and easily available in a city where nothing is cheap and easily available.) But what Richardson failed to mention is that so are chronic stomach ailments.

Be careful as you take your mouthfuls, Richardson. Be very careful!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

You know, that might be Richardson's way of showing he's so with the local culture that he doesn't need Immodium. :-P

globalbabble said...

Ha ha! Could be. Could be.

The Shaolin said...

Well, cheap or not cheap, hygienic or unhygienic, if you are born and brought up in (or around)
Mumbai, you can easily take food at almost any stall without even slightest gastronomical problems.
The food variety and taste (at select places) is just mind boggling. But BE careful never ever to look deep into HOW they make and maintain everything. Once in a while, it is fun to live in ignorance!
Of course, if one has spent major part of his/her life outside India, dare NOT touch these types of food!
I'm no food freak, but I personally hog like there is no tomorrow whenever I'm in Mumbai. To the point where I never fail to
surprise all of my buddies :)

Your post brought so many memories of pav-bhaji's, calorie-laden malai lassi, sandwiches and dosas to my mind that I thought of leaving a few words on this post :)

(P.S. Being hardcore Mumbaikar at heart might have something to do with my opinion presented here!)

globalbabble said...

Hey Shaolin,

I beg to differ. I grew up in an around Mumbai and was always suffering from stomach ailments. Of course I hogged liberally on street food. I thought my stomach ailments were chronic and something I will live with all my life.

Only I didn't. All problems disappeared once I left India. And the only real difference in my diet was the absence of street food. (I cook Indian for myself otherwise).

Another friend from Mumbai had exactly the same experience.

The teflon stomachs of all Mumbaikars may be a tad exxagerated.