Ten street foods in Dhaka Part 1

Like many other countries, street foods are also becoming popular day by day in Bangladesh. List of street foods is increasing gradually in our country. Almost all types of foods are sold on the street. Taking health issue into consideration, street food sellers have become more cautious about cleanliness and try their best to provide hygienic food to their customers. Here is a list of 10 most popular street foods in Dhaka city. 

Ice cream: Summer season means exhaustion from overheat. Delightful food like ice cream is found in school, office or in the streets and other crowded places. From children to elders, people of all ages like to eat ice cream. There is hardly anyone who does not like to eat ice cream. Ice cream is one type of sweet liquid food which removes fatigue quickly and makes the mind cool, fresh and lively. It is basically made up of various items, including milk, fruit and chocolate. This awesome food is made by mixing pure drinking water and food color along with various fruit extracts, coconut and milk. It is a popular name among people not only in the country but also around the world. Some shopkeepers store it in an electronic fridge while others keep it in the ice box.

Sugarcane juice: This edible plant food is the only source of producing sugar. Rich in carbohydrate, protein and mineral, this drink is very popular in our country. In rural areas, some people call it ‘Gendari’ or ‘Kusor’, but it is known as ‘Aakh’ in urban areas. Soon after the arrival of spring season after the end of winter, the shopkeepers with the help of engine-run machine on a mobile vehicle extract sugarcane juice in the busy streets. At the end of the day, before returning home, people from all walks of life get their energy back to their bodies drinking a glass of sugarcane juice. It can be realized by seeing from closer. Because of having abundance of energy in sugarcane juice, it is a familiar and tasty drink to almost all classes of people besides the lower-class and middle-class people.

Boiled egg: The importance of egg is most in the list of protein-rich foods. Whether it is home or outside, it has value everywhere. Among street foods in our country, it is also at the peak of the list of favorite foods. If we look, we can see that there are more young students in the list of customers, especially those who come together to gossip after a session of study or the day’s work. It is as if a boiled egg fulfills the body’s protein need. Apart from local and broiler chicken eggs, there are duck eggs in the list of the shopkeeper. Each egg is sold for a price ranging from Tk 4 to 10. The sale and demand of egg is high in the winter compared to the summer season.

Spicy Aloo Dum: Potato is one of the vegetables used to prepare this dish. We cannot think of any curry without potato as an ingredient. Spicy chili aloo dum in the afternoon meal brings different taste to mouth. The taste and demand of this food can be understood seeing the crowd in this shop where all types of potatoes are boiled and fried with various types of spices. Among the tasty foods, this food has much popularity, especially among young people.

Chanachur mixture: Among tasty spicy foods, chanachur mixture is very delicious to eat. Whether it is winter or summer season, this business is a hit round the year. Chanachur mixed with green chili, cucumber, onion and mustard oil is one of the favorite food items among all ages of people. Talking to the shopkeepers, it has come to be known that it is one of the very profitable businesses that can be started with a small capital. As different types of vegetables and chanachur can be easily carried in a big silver plate, this business can be expanded by traveling from one place to another. As its price is affordable, everyone loves to eat it.

Shashlik: It is another popular street food made with the mixture of different types of vegetables and meat. This item is decorated with sliced cucumber and chronologically arranged with carrot, onion and meat pieces, and fried in oil. It is then served to the customers. Each stick or each piece is sold at Tk. 30. This very delicious food brings diversity to the afternoon meal. Generally, chicken meat is more used in Shashlik. Apart from ordinary people, university students are at the center of their target customers.

Corn: The pleasure of eating corn burnt in charcoal on the city streets gives a different kind of feeling. It is one of the most delicious foods rich in carbohydrate. The tendency of eating burnt corn is seen more in the city street compared to village, especially in winter. The taste of corn burnt in charcoal is enjoyed by all ages of people. From the health standpoint, corn is beneficial for human body. This food filled with vitamin C, thiamine, mineral keeps heart healthy, remove anemia, helps in digestion and decreasing cholesterol level of human body. In the evening, the scenery of corn burning in charcoal fire and the popularity of the buyers at Rabindra Sarobar area of Dhaka city looks quite beautiful.

French fry: Potato is one of the most important vegetables of Bangladesh. French fry is a delicious food item made by potato which is very much in demand among the people. The scenario of this food fried in hot oil and served with sour Tomato sauce tells how much popular it is. This quality and nutritious food is widely known not only in Bangladesh but also all over the world. Rich in protein and carbohydrate, and useful to reduce lower blood pressure, this food is beneficial for human body. Because the price of potato is cheap in our country, shopkeepers can easily decide to do such a business with small investment. Fried in oil, the brown color of the French fry increases the temptation of the dish double.

Chicken, beef and various types of meat curry along with rice: Among the heavy dishes including chicken and beef curry and rice is the most important food in our country. But in the busiest city Dhaka, rice with meat curry has made its place in the street food. Rice takes its place in the lunch menu of working people across all profession. People of all classes can enjoy this food for having low price compared to well-furnished restaurant and spicy onion. It feels quite tasty to eat meat curry and lentil with rice. Main customers of this food are work-oriented people, especially those working in the market, office, driver of different types of vehicles and those who do not get enough time to take rest.

Coconut: When fatigue appears in the face of pedestrian and working class people, a glass of coconut water can remove this exhaustion. Among different types of street foods, green coconut water is taking the top position in the popularity list of people from all ages and walks of people. Shopkeepers sell small, medium and large sized coconuts in moveable carts in schools, colleges, university campuses, market areas, bus stands and other crowded places. Price of the coconut depends on size and the price starts from Tk 30 and each coconut is also sold for Tk 70 to 80. In the presence of potassium, magnesium and copper, it causes to refill the energy by rapidly increasing the immunity performance of the human body. Transparent water of green coconut and its soft white part inside bring back the refreshment of the mind and also works well as an antiseptic. 

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