KFC or Raju Chiken?

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As many of you know, India is full of contradictions. One of the biggest and most obvious points of contrast is the wide gap between rich and poor. It is not just a bit rich and a bit poor – it is like having the fancy Le Meridian hotel where meals cost as much as the meals at the Le Meridians in the U.S. overlooking slum villages where walls are a luxury. Needless to say, food choices – and safety – are very much dependent on income level and economic strata (not unlike the rest of the world).

Street food is common and although I traditionally like to sample street food, I am warned by locals here to refrain. As mentioned, even the middle-of-the-road restaurants sometimes have tough times ensuring quality control of meats during the summer. Bacterial and viral infections are not uncommon in street food, but if you are not able to afford the higher-end restaurants, it seems that your stomach gets trained to digest the bacteria found in street food. Interestingly, buttermilk is used to battle the heat and as a digestive. Turmeric is used to kill bacteria and tenderize meat. Still, I’m not sure I’d be as adventurous as try out this “chiken”. Raju’s is parked next to a fish truck and some cows.

These are cucumbers  – a little longer and lighter green that what I’m used to in the U.S. Here, they cut it open for you and add some flavors to it; however, if you are not used to local bacterial culture…I suggest you buy them whole. However, these are far cheaper than ones you find in the supermarkets or stores like Reliance which is like a super-duper Wal-Mart with everything (including scooters for USD$500).

Papa John’s here is pretty nice – middle-upper income luxury. For about Rs. 740 you can buy 2 (conversion rate right now about $10), so that’s pretty pricey. If you are not from the middle-upper income strata, your pizza options (if you can buy pizza) may not be Papa John’s, but this one which also sells a few other items. I don’t think it has a brick oven.

The juxtaposition between the haves and have-nots is pretty apparent here. You can have one of these little stands where cleanliness and food control is pretty much nonexistent right in front of restaurants where security guards and ten waitstaff will help you into your chair and fill your glass with distilled bottle water.

While this contrast is stark in India, let us not forget that food (in)justice and equity are not only issues in India. In the U.S., access to fresh foods and farmer’s markets is not equal across income levels, which has an impact on food safety, quality, health, nutrition, lifespan…. Just yesterday, the New York Times wrote an article on food safety, particularly in frozen foods and other processed foods. So even though in the U.S., the disparity between rich and poor may not be as wide, the same food/income issues come up essentially everywhere.

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