The
year: 2004. Angus Denoon, British and a chef, came to Kolkata as a
tourist. He wanted to do a short documentary on the city’s famed street
food and the faceless men and women who run the business. The jhal
muriwallah topped the list of the people he was keen to meet. To him,
he looked more That non-descript man (or woman) was like a human
machine standing (and sometimes sitting) for hours moving his arms in a
seemingly mechanical routine. It cast a spell on him. He studied their
ways, learnt how to make jhal muri, and started his own business – in
the streets of London! Today you might see his quirky, colourful cart
flamboyantly signed as ‘The Everybody Love Jhal Muri Express’ at street
corners, weddings, festivals and fairs, and –hold your breath, even at
No 10.
For nearly two centuries, all kinds of things have been
traded between the two countries. But of all things, jhal muri! That
beats them all. The humble puffed rice has now gone places. It may not
have offered a hefty foreign exchange bounty. But it has paid back in
something far more precious than that – the love and admiration of
dozens of people of a far country.
Angus says,"I love being a
street food hawker! It’s like having your own kitchen in your van and
get a chance to interact with the customers. I do sell phuckas or ghugni
chaat sometimes. I get muri from Kolkata and other ingredients from
Indian grocery shops found here and ther in London, but I prepare my own
chutneys."
He gets tremendous response for Jhal muri. A thonga is priced at £2. What is the peak time? Angus says In between lunch and dinner. Normally I sell about 60-70 paper containers, but it depends
on the weather. During the festival time when the weather is good the
number increases. My customers are everyone–Asians, Britishers, assorted others. The Asian community in the UK is very big. In the whole of London there are two Bangladeshi, to my knowledge selling jhal muri. You will find me in most Indian/Bangladeshi weddings.
Does
he have any expansion plans? Angus says,"I have plans to make dry
version of jhal muri and it can be sold in packets. In England we have
big problem with snacks. Big multi million dollar companies sell take-away snacks. They don’t satisfy one fully because people will buy more. They also put in a lot of chemicals and additives which are very harmful. They are eating chips and other foods. I organize workshops in schools and I have seen school kids love eating muri. Giving muri is great. They love it, and it’s better for them! I have served many well-to-do and famous people. I have served drug addicts. When they eat it they become normal.
He
adds,"Last time when I came to Kolkata, I tried dohi phucka in the
Lake Gardens area. I liked it very much." Maybe one day it also might be
there in his menu.
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