In a world where street food vendors are going out of their way to garner eyeballs; experimenting with weird food combinations (we are still recovering from the shock of Fanta Maggi), or building gigantic food items like Bahubali Omelette or Mount Everest Ice Gola, there are few who are making noise for all the right reasons. Indian street food fare is renowned across the world, and it has a rich history of being environment-friendly too. No kidding, back in the day, before the advent of plastic, street food like kachoris, samosas, pakodas would be served in plates made of leaves. The tradition’s prevalent even today in many parts of the country. The recent comeback of Kulhad, is also being seen as a welcome change. From Kulhad Momos to Kulhad Pizza, the mini-earthen pot is being used for a lot more than serving chai. A similar eco-friendly move of serving guava juice in scooped-out guava is also creating quite a buzz online.
In a video shared by the YouTube channel ‘Aamchi Mumbai’, one can the zero-waste guava juice’ in the making. The video has clocked in close to 4.4 million views in two weeks and the comments section is filled with impressed users. The video was shot at The Jungle Juice in Mahavir Nagar, near D’Mart. “This is a delicious chilli guava combination juice, which is served inside guava. The pulp is taken out and blended into juice and served in the guava it was taken out from”, the juice vendor explains. He then grabs the guava and slices off one of the edges of the guava. This cut-off piece is not tossed away but kept for a special touch in the end. He holds the guava and with the help of a big steel spoon, he starts scooping out the white-pink flesh of the guava and outs it in the blender. Then he adds some sugar, ice and blends everything together. While the juice is blending, the vendor also carves a “smiley” face on the hollowed-out guava, and the piece that was cut out before, is further carved to resemble a hat. The juice is now strained in a steel container, and guava fruit is sprinkled with a generous dose of chilly masala, even the rim and the little ‘guava hat’ is covered with the masala. The juice is poured inside the guava fruit and served without a straw. Eco-friendly and delicious, right?
The concept is very similar to Delhi’s Kuremal Kulfi, where the kulfi, from the pulp of the fruit is frozen inside the fruit it was taken from. Similarly, here, not an ounce of the fruit has gone to waste, nor do we see any plastic in the sight.
What do you think of this zero-waste juice? Do let us know us know your thoughts. ‘Tis the season of guavas, and it is indeed a lovely way indulge in the winter delight.