If you truly want to know a city, country, or region, try its street food. They provide insight into the culture, introduce you to the food you didn't know about, and let’s just agree it is fun! Street food plays a major role in defining the culture of a place. For instance, India’s street food is vibrant, diverse, and full of different flavours just like the country itself. And it appears that the rest of the world has realised this as well. Recently, some of the most popular dishes from across the country have made it to the list of the best street foods in the world. Yes, you read that right.
The Taste Atlas, a travel and food guide platform, recently released its list of the "50 Best Street Foods In The World." And our much-loved tikka, Amritsari kulcha, chole bhature, and dosa proudly made it to the list. While tikka has been ranked in 23rd place, dosa is in the 31st spot, while chole bhature and Amritsari kulcha are in positions 44 and 49, respectively. Isn’t that a great feat for Indian cuisine? Taste Atlas took to Instagram to share the complete list. The caption read, "Best street foods in the world according to TasteAtlas' audience ratings, current ranking. What's your favourite?"
Guotie, a northern Chinese-style dumpling, topped the list (we aren’t surprised! ), and roti canai from Malaysia grabbed the second spot. Considered a cousin of the Malabar paratha, roti canai is a flatbread in Malaysia that can be traced back to its colonisation by the British. It is made with maida flour, oil, and water, which are made into a dough that is stretched until it becomes thin and translucent, and then flipped in the air, much like how Italians make pizza. It is then folded and layered, creating pockets of air that give it its characteristic flakiness. After being fried in ghee, it becomes fluffy. Roti canai is then served, wrapped in a sheet of newspaper.
The word "roti" is used for all types of bread in Malaysia, much like it is among Indians, as the word has the same meaning in Sanskrit. However, "canai" has disputed origins, as some say it comes from Chennai, while others believe it is derived from the same Malay word, which means "to knead". Given the similarity with Malabar Paratha, it is safe to say that it may have links with India too. Read more about it here.
Indian street food is definitely getting its due on the global stage. And it is indeed quite exciting news, right? Let us know your thoughts on the same.