A Bite Into the Real Problem

Vilifying street food while ignoring ultra-processed giants is not the health strategy India needs

- Vernika Awal

Rather strange bit of news caught my eye earlier this week—straight out of Nagpur, where local health authorities proposed that our beloved street foods, samosas and jalebis included, should carry cigarette-style health warnings. Yes, warnings. On samosas. For those of us who find deep comfort in flaky pastry and hot oil—especially during the monsoon—this felt like a personal attack.

The logic, apparently, is rooted in public health: the rise of obesity and lifestyle-related diseases needs to be addressed. Fair enough. But suggesting that a freshly fried samosa poses the same threat as a cigarette? That's a stretch. The announcement sent snack lovers (including yours truly) into a bit of a tizzy. Because let's be honest—what's a rainy afternoon without a samosa in one hand and a jalebi in the other? In fact, in my last column, I had declared my undying love for this snack that travelled all the way from Central Asia to India and was eventually adopted as our own. The original samosa, closer in form to a meat dumpling, is believed to have originated in 7th-century Kazakhstan before being adapted in Persia and Turkey.

When it arrived on Indian shores, the meat filling didn't quite suit the local palate. So, Indian resourcefulness did what it always does—it reimagined the dish as a potato-stuffed, spice-laced icon, now found everywhere from office canteens to wedding buffets, in countless regional variations.