“Food for the body is not enough. There must be food for the soul.”
Dorothy Day
About twenty-odd years ago, I got married and moved from Patiala to Ambala. My knowledge about the twin city was limited to the fact that it housed the biggest cloth market in North India and that every bride-to-be has to visit it at least once to shop for her trousseau. One evening while we were out for a walk in the sector, I noticed a long queue consisting mostly of men outside a small booth in the sector market. I asked my husband if it was a liquor vend. He had a hearty laugh before asking what made me think that it was a liquor vend. Coming from the city of ‘Patiala Peg’ and since the queue blocked the view of the shop and its wares, I told him that it was a conjecture. In Patiala, I had only witnessed queues of men either outside a liquor vendor a chicken/mutton shop. Amidst peals of laughter, he told me that it was a Chaat-Golgappa shop which led to further dismay, and with a bewildered expression on my face I quipped, “But men don’t eat golgappas and papdi chaat!”
It’s been more than twenty decades and I have come to realize that Golgappa-Chaat is not a snack or a business run by people in Ambala. It is the life and soul of the natives of Ambala. Nay, it is their way of life– sweet and sour; tasty and tangy; a tad bit sugary here and a wee bit spicy there. Celebrations in their lives, as well as households, are incomplete without a visit to the nearest joint that doles out crispy papdis with sweet and sour chutneys; mouth-watering flavors of golgappas ranging from traditional keora, jeera, heeng, kali mirchi, pudina, ajwain to more innovative lemon, mango and guava; and butter-smooth bhallas along with a zillion embellishments and assortments. Just like we all have our own unique qualities and personality traits, so does every shop, kiosk or vendor of Golgappa-Chaat. The flavours are different; the taste varies; the presentation is diverse and of course the techniques are unique too. It is a well-known fact that no two vendors can dish out chaat or golgappas in exactly similar flavor or presentation. These dishes are not just snacks, they are representatives of the rich and varied diversity of our land and culture with a perfect blend of all the spices.
The cherry on the cake about this particular snack is the fact that this business venture can be started anywhere, anytime and by anyone. Even housewives who look for an opportunity to carve a niche for themselves can prepare these mouth-watering delicacies straight from their kitchens. You can find cycle or hand-cart vendors with their baskets full of crunchy golgappas, titillating the taste buds of their clientele either at their doorstep or just around the corner; on the roadside or in the midst of a bustling street. Those who wish to take it a notch higher, establish an outlet with or without the sitting arrangement. As the Bible mentions, “In my Father’s house, there are many mansions”; Ambala is also home to many such sumptuous delicacies and the city provides sustenance to anyone who wishes to take up this art of satisfying people’s spicy-cravings. In fact, over the years I have witnessed a number of restaurants and fast food joints shut down due to lack of customers but am yet to come across a chaat-papdi shop that went out of business.
So, here’s a shout out to these men and women who make food for the soul and also, the lives of people in and around the world… ‘Tasty and Tangy’
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