reflections and gems

An enjoyable view of a city is the observations of life in its “spaces”.  When you live in a heavily populated city, a culture erupts in these spaces.  It could be the unique qualities of a burrow in NYC, the architecture flood after the Great Chicago Fire or the blue collar work ethic of those who work in Detroit.

If you look closer at how the everyday person uses spaces, you gain a perspective.  The area of space I re-kindled my fascination with was Street Food in India.  Street Food in its purest form is simple, fast food you can consume on the street.  It is anything but that.

Street Food is encompassed in the “now”.  The ingredients that make up the food are hand picked from the market on a daily basis.  There are not hidden walls between you and the creation of the order.  With all manners aside, you eat.  Not politely waiting for your friends food to come out, forgetting about the sounds of the city that surrond you or the fact that more than half of your fingers are smothered with food.    

Within this naked view of kitchen, you observe the mechanics of Street Food.  

“You can observe a lot by just watching”.  - Yogi Berra

For me, the observation became an obsession.

• Why did the chai walla keep some chai in the filter and pour it throughout the pot?
• What was the technique the egg vendor used to stuff a half a dozen eggs in a envelope created out of a newspaper?
• Why do some sandwich vendors choose to cut vegetables horizontally vs. cubes?
• How does the hard boiled egg vendor peel an egg?
• In how many rolls can the cook at Bade Miya make a roti?
• How does the pani puri vendor put pani in your puri?
• How do you plate pav bhaji after it has been cooked on a tava?

It’s these small techniques that add to the culture of this space.