Rs 200 avocado toast is popular in Surat, but can it replace Indian street food?
Avocado is not only taking over most kitchens in tier 1 cities, but is also slowly making its presence felt in Indian street food. But can it replace the OG papdi chaat and panipuri or co-exist with them?
A few months ago, a video of a street cider vendor in Surat, Gujarat selling avocado toast at his makeshift shop went viral on social media. The toast stuffed with avocado pulp was being sold for Rs 200 (which is much more expensive than the usual street food).
It’s unlikely to make it to India’s street food version, but with the hype surrounding this fruit, will it be able to become popular among street food enthusiasts and compete with the OG panipuri and papdi chaat?
The transformation of avocado from being a food of the rich to finding a place in most kitchens of tier 1 cities has a story of its own and needs to be told. So, can it compete with golgappas and panipuri in the days to come? Well, this is a topic of intense discussion.
india today We spoke to experts, chefs, and restaurant owners to learn more about this expected trend, and here’s what we found:
Health Aspects
There’s no denying that we’re more conscious than ever about what we put into our bodies. Avocado has a plethora of health benefits, making it an even more appealing option for people to include in their daily diet. It’s packed with nutrients and is rich in fiber, B6, vitamin C, potassium, vitamin E, folate, and copper.
“This change in demand is because people have become more health conscious and prefer to eat healthier food,” says Michelin-starred chef Rohit Ghai.
He said that although avocado has no flavor of its own and its taste is bland in itself, it still provides a safe base for any experiment.
He further added, “And the fact that it is rich in antioxidants, it is mostly preferred by health conscious people who want to stick to their diet and also want to eat something that will delight their taste buds.”
He also said that post Covid-19, people have started taking special interest in their health and hence they are preferring healthier food options, which is increasing the excitement around this fruit.
Restaurateur and food consultant Shantanu Gupte says, “Avocado is becoming popular day by day because of marketing. And, of course, it has many health benefits. It is rich in vitamins. It is rich in antioxidants. It has good cholesterol and it reduces LDL. It is good for controlling blood pressure and is a diuretic. So, there are many benefits of eating avocado, which is why avocado has become popular.”
What do the statistics tell us?
Chartered accountant, business consultant and author Sarthak Ahuja says that avocado imports have increased manifold in the last three years and the demand is so high that farmers have started cultivating this fruit in India itself and are making huge profits.
“In the past three years, avocado imports in the country have grown by over 450 per cent, where India imported over 2210 metric tonnes of avocados in FY23 – mostly from Kenya, South Africa, the Netherlands, Peru and Chile,” Sarthak points out. india today,
“The demand is so high that avocado crop is now being grown in Karnataka and neighbouring states, so you get avocados much cheaper in Bengaluru than in Mumbai and NCR,” he said.
According to a Mint report, Brazil is one of the largest producers of avocados and India is planning to import the fruit from the South American country in a bid to control the skyrocketing prices of avocados, which retail between Rs 90 and Rs 300 per piece in India, depending on the quality.
Just last month, Australian avocados were launched in India, with former cricketer Brett Lee as the brand ambassador.
Can avocado toast compete with the OG street foods?
Sarthak says that just like momo reached India from Nepal and people instantly liked it, you can see a similar story with avocado toast.
“And just like momos were made tandoori, guacamole on avocado toast is being garnished with chopped tomatoes, onions and mint chutney. It is being turned into a chaat item, with many restaurants now selling avocado sev puri, avocado ice cream and avocado shakes,” he says.
And while you have reasons to believe that this could be an upcoming trend, restaurateurs and chefs paint a different picture. While they acknowledge the sudden rise in demand for avocado, the idea that it could replace OG street foods like panipuri, golgappas or chaat seems far-fetched.
“The idea of avocado toast taking over Indian street food culture seems somewhat unlikely,” says chef and television personality Varun Inamdar. Indian street food is deeply rooted in traditional flavours, ingredients and cooking practices, and the choice is generally spicy on the streets.”
“Its recent ‘popularity on Instagram’ is more of a street gimmick and a topical trend than anything else. It will disappear as quickly as it appeared. A new demographic group full of people trying to imitate the West is always adding to the repertoire of street food, but how much is really left?” he questions.
“The increased production and demand for avocados has made them more affordable and accessible. However, avocado cannot replace traditional street food like panipuri or aloo tikki chaat as the taste is very different. But you can add avocado to these dishes to make them healthier. For example, you can make avocado papdi chaat or avocado tikki, but the texture and taste will be different as avocado is very soft,” says UK-based chef Ghai.
Shantanu Gupte says that avocado toast can be eaten along with other street foods, but the idea of it replacing them does not come to mind. He tells how it was once predicted that burgers would replace vada pav, but we all know what that turned out to be.
“I think it will go hand in hand. As a chef and a restaurateur, I have also started using avocado in chaat. We also make palak patta chaat in some of our restaurants, but instead of spinach, we use kale. Yes, it is a novelty. So, on a larger scale, I don’t think avocado toast will be able to compete with Indian chaat. It was being said some time back that burgers have replaced vada pav, but that has not happened. Though burger consumption has increased, burger chains have also increased, but vada pav is still going strong,” he says.
“So, I think the same will happen with avocado, that consumption will grow, but I don’t think it will be able to replace or compete with Indian chaat. Also, it has to do with the price. You can’t price avocado chaat or avocado toast the same as Indian chaat,” he adds.
The avocado craze: A marketing gimmick?
While Sarthak Ahuja attributes the popularity of avocado to the so-called “white girl aesthetic” on social media, Chef Gupte reiterates that a lot of it depends on how it is marketed.
Chef Gupte says, “See, like any imported ingredient, the food item that comes to India often becomes popular. The best example of this is olive oil – it is not that Indian oils are bad or anything, but olive oil has its own benefits and that is why it is in demand here. So, what happens when any imported ingredient (fruit/food/vegetable) is introduced? Companies do a lot of marketing around it. Generally, you know how much any country or Indians appreciate imported products. So, that is why avocado is more popular than before. There are both reasons behind it: imports have increased and Indian production has increased because consumption has increased. So, it is a two-way theory.”
And the increased consumption may be partly due to health aspects, with conditioning and marketing gimmicks taking over the rest.
The last morsel
Perhaps Chef Varun Inamdar summed up this discussion most eloquently, “Certain ingredients suggest luxury and paring them down is an oxymoron, like affordable luxury.”