THE SPICY TREAT FOR THE WORKING CLASS

Dhriti Chopra

THE SPICY TREAT FOR THE WORKING CLASS

The city of seven islands, Mumbai, is a land that fulfils the dream of many. When we close our eyes and try to imagine what our lives will be if we reside near the beach house of India, we think of the long local train travels, the roads that lead to million dreams and the quintessential fried Vada in a chutney slathered pav.

Vada Pav. Illustrated by Miloni Munipally: Visual Storyteller at ThisDay

Isn’t that the common imagery? The one thing that anyone who travels for the first time to Bombay thinks of is the lip-smacking street food Bombay has to offer to all who visit. And one thing that no one can even think of ignoring is the spicy Vada pav that has the heart of every citizen in this nation. But, did you know, just like us, this Vada pav was the food of workers and dreamers in the 1960s? Let’s go back to the time when the Indian burger came into being.

It is the year 1966 when Shiv Sena encouraged the citizens of Bombay to come up with their delicacy of entrepreneurship like the Udipi of South which could be called a Bombay speciality. It didn’t take long for the dreamers to come up with one. Ashok Vaidya was inspired by this enthralling opportunity and decided to open a street food stand outside the Dadar station. It was a station of working-class aspirants, going to work every day, earning their daily wages to satisfy the needs of their families.

While Ashok Vaidya sold omelettes and the quintessential street food, he was struck with imagination one day and decided to put a besan laded fried aloo Tikki inside two pavs. And, just like Remy from Ratatouille, he had created something extraordinary. Little did he know that soon this dish would become the face of Btombay’s entrepreneurship. Labourers, workers and daily wage earners who didn’t have the privilege of time to sit and munch their lunch would start depending on this Vada pav for stomach filling and soul-satisfying eatery.

While the street food of Bombay gained a celebrity among many dishes, the society was going through a riotous time with multiple strikes in textile mills. This led to many workers losing their jobs and searching for another mode of existence. That is when Vada pav became more than just a cheap food but also the mode of existence for many. During the 1970s and 80s, many people started opening their own Vada Pao stalls which became a go-to snack for many.

When in the 1990s, Mcdonald's made an entry into the Indian eating zone, they came up with a variety of vegetarian options, focusing on the food palette of the Indians. The famous McAloo Tikki was one such invention to treat the spicy buds of Indians. However, it still couldn’t replace the Indian Vada Pav that everyone ate with pride of it being an Indian dish. Ironically, the bun and potato were both European imports that came to India around the 17th century.

However, the one that is still world-renowned and loved by everyone in the street style 10 rupees Vada pav that knows the way to your heart and with each bite satisfies the needs of your soul.

Soon, Vada pav became more than food. It was the voice of the working class, a mode of existence for the wage earners and also a business idea for many. Like Dheeraj Gupta who saw the rise in Vada pav’s love amongst the people of Maharashtra and thought of opening a chain called JumboKing. The Vada pav or the ‘Indian Burger’ became the marketing strategy of JumboKing who came up with a variety of styles of Vada Pav like Schezwan Vada Pav, and Nacho Vada Pav, mixing a variety of cuisines with the Indian taste pallet.