Street foods reappear in a new avatar in Bhubaneswar

BHUBANESWAR: After a gap of about two months, street foods such as panipuri, chaat and jhalmuri can be seen making a slow but steady comeback. The response of customers, however, has been mixed, with some lining up for a taste and others choosing to stay away.
Several street food vendors here have adopted hygienic methods of preparing and serving the snacks.They are wearing protective gear including face masks and gloves and some are providing takeaways only. "The past two months have been very difficult for me. I sold vegetables for some time but failed. I tried to sell packed panipuri but it was not profitable. I finally decided to resume the business and set up my cart again. Although I am not receiving many customers, I feel happy to be doing what I do best," Ramchandra Jena, a panipuri seller in Saheed Nagar, said.
Not just pani puri, sellers of jhalmuri and chaat have also resumed business. "People are coming to buy jhal muri but many of them are asking about the safety measures I have adopted. I am aware of the danger of the novel coronavirus and am taking steps to keep myself and my customers safe," Nitya Mahakud, a jhal muri seller in Bomikhal, said.
People visiting the street food stalls are also following social distancing norms and mostly asking for takeaways. "We are heading towards a new normal and I can feel the difference between now and then. The panipuri and jhal muri sellers are using gloves, which is a good sign," Namita Ojha, a resident of Saheed Nagar, said.
Another resident of Rasulgarh, Pragyan Mitra, added that she visited her favourite panipuri man the moment she heard that he had resumed work. "I cannot express how eagerly I was waiting for panipuri. I tried making it at home during the lockdown but it tasted terrible. It is something that can only be relished on the streets," she said.
Dahibara aloodum, however, is still missing from the streets. "It may be difficult for dahibara aloodum sellers to operate with gloves. These vendors will have to come up with new techniques to resume work," Alok Hota, another Rasulgarh resident, said.