Popular Street Foods in Urban Cities; A Sociological Analysis*

(The article is based on observations and review of literature)

Objectives

To study different types popular street foods, reasons of their popularity, profile of vendors selling these food items, categories of customers and street food business as an employment generator in northern urban cities of India.

Categories and List of Popular Street Foods

A variety of cooking methods are used like Backing, Roasting Boiling, Frying, Steaming, Sprouting, grilling, toasting, broiling, sauting / stir frying etc. to prepare this street food. Both vegetarian and non-vegetarian varieties are sold but vegetarian food is more popular.

Common Street Foods

There are a large variety of Street food that can be taken as breakfast , brunch mid day meal / lunch , as snacks , and as dinner . some are listed below .

1. Puffed rice / murmure, Jhalmuri bhelpuri, poha, upma.
2. Momos vegetarian / non vegetarian (stuffing of chicken, vegetables ,paneer ), noodles.
3. Pakodas of paneer , bread , onion, paneer and chicken , samosas, kachori, moong dal pakode ( ram laddu ) . These all are deep fried .
4. Roasted/ grilled chicken and fish , fried fish ,fish tikka, mutton kabab .
5. Bread omelet, Paratha omelet, masala omlete .
6. Rajma chawal ,dal chawal , Chole chawal.
7. Pav Bhaji, Vada Pav, Pani Puri (Gol Gappe), Papdi Chaat, Aloo Tikki, Dahi Bhalla, Bhalla Papdi Chaat and Dabeli.
8. Different varieties of parathas including plain and stuffed with potato, paneer, peas, chillies, eggs and many other fillings.
9. Kulche Chole, Chole Bhature, Puree Chole, Puree Bhaji and Makki Ki Roti with Sarson Ka Saag.
10. Plain dosa and stuffed dosas with vegetarian as well as non vegetarian fillings.
11. Rasgullas and Jalebi.
12. Roasted Bhutta (Corn), roasted sweet potato and roasted potatoes.
13. Boiled Bhutta, boiled peanuts, boiled eggs and boiled matar.
14. Dal soup, vegetable soup and chicken soup.
15. Chikki, Rewari, Gajak, Gur Pare, roasted peanuts and fried channa dal.
16. Potato chips, banana chips and popcorn.
17. Vegetarian and non vegetarian Biryani.
18. Kulfi, Matka Kulfi and Ice Cream.
19. Doodh Jalebi.
20. Sweet and salted Lassi and Chach.
21. Pizza, Sandwiches and Kathi Rolls.
22. Moong Dal Chaat and Mixed Fruit Chaat.
23. Raw foods such as Kakdi, Kheera, Watermelon, Amrood, Fruit Chaat and Falsa.
24. Lemon water (Shikanji) and various Sharbat drinks.
25. Tea with biscuits and puffs.
26. Paan.

(The above list is not exhaustive.)

Areas and Locations of Shops and Vendors

Wherever there is possibilities of more sale like outside offices, schools , colleges , hospitals / nursing homes , railway stations , metro stations ,in markets , near populated colonies , training institutes , cinema halls, stadium ,construction sites , bus stands and stops /taxi stands , factories , religious places etc .

Types of Shops

Majority have stationary shops and some are mobile . Food is sold from permanent / semi permanent shop , cart/ thella ,bicycle , ricksha , two wheeler, three wheeler , tempo and mini bus.

Prices and Payment Methods

Food Prices are according to the area and type and quality of the food products . Payment is done online or cash .

Eating Arrangements

Many vendors who have space , make sitting and standing arrangements near their shops.Some people carry food to their homes and a few vendors do have home delivery services . Some times with the approval or on request , vendors put their stalls in or near the housing colonies on some fixed days and also in fetes and melas and during festival seasons .

Factors That Have Made Street Foods More Popular and Types of Consumers

Over the years people in cities have developed taste for street food . People visit different places, states and regions within as well as outside India as tourists . There they try local food of those places and gradually develop taste for these foods . Second factor is people coming from different states/ regions in cities bringing varieties of their regional food recipes with them . They share their local food with their friends, colleagues and neighbors and develop tastes for those items . Popularity of these foods also increases through advertisements , word of mouth , posting details of visits on social media, through celebrities eating these food .

Other important reasons of popularity of these ready to eat street food is that they are low priced , affordable by low budget people, are mostly freshly cooked , easily available and mostly tasty .Home makers sometimes get bored of cooking and eating their own cooked food , so want to taste something new and different. Also cooking all types of food at home is not always easy and cost effective and everyone does not have those specialized cooking skills .

As availability of street food is easy , so senior citizens , helpers , sick people , children , teenagers , middle aged women , working population , single people ,Laborers / daily wedgers eat these foods . It is convenient for the early office goers and people working or coming late after night shifts. These foods are also very popular in kitty parties , social gatherings ,in marriage functions .Sometimes people in the cities are informed by their international relatives and friends about places of popular food items in their cities and street food eating joints.

Profile of Vendors

They are mostly self employed and also provide employment to many other people . Usually are young and middle aged , mainly men , in some cases women also, and some also having formal educational degrees . Mostly are stationary at one place , some move from one place to another depending upon the sale . They reside mostly nearby or within reachable distance . In some cases they live at the same place where vendors have permanent structure .People who run these shops have migrated from other places or born and brought up in the same city . In some cases few generations of the family have been doing the same business . Many street food shops maintain quality of food through generations and have also gained national and international fame .

Their timings start early , day time or in the evening depending upon the food items being sold and type of area and customers footfall . Eating joints are also kept open even in the evening or late nights at places like near the bus stops , railway stations and where night shifts are there . The food left after the sale is donated to needy people or they take home or is discarded.

Challenges Faced

Vendors some times face different types of challenges. Perishable items are to be finished by evening or same day . Some times wastage of food is also there . Prices of raw commodities increases according to seasons but they have to keep prices of food items more or less stable or increase only marginally thus reducing their profit margin. Some change their food products according to the season and demand . Availability and retaining workers / helpers is also a challenge in some cases particularly during harvesting seasons.

Role of Street Food Vendors in Economy

Street food business provides livelihood to many people . Government is also helping these self employed street food vendors.

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Nirmal Tikku, ex Deputy Director, SPNIWCD (earlier NIPCCD), New Delhi - July 2026