Story of Vada Pav

Origin

The origin of vada pav aka Bombay burger was said to be during early 1970’s and soon the dish gained popularity as a cheap fast food in Mumbai (then Bombay). The idea is said to have originated from a street vendor named Ashok Vaidya who worked outside of the unceasingly chaotic Dadar train station in the 1960’s and 70’s. In search of a way to fend off the commuters’ hunger. One day, he slipped a batata vada between a pav, tossed in a bit of green chili and red chutney, and made history. He devised a simple snack that could be eaten on the go (Sarma, Ramya, 2012). Needless to say, his idea was a success, and it has since been elevated to one of Mumbai’s favorite street foods. The story of vada pav also had a political influence, the Shiv Sena, the Marathi-Hindu nationalist party gained interest in the idea and start promoting more men to install such stalls. Soon, party claimed it as one of its own. The opportunity for promotion by Shiv Sena got created when a factory laid off workers. Seeking the opportunity Shiv Sena urged more men to install vada pav stalls in front of other factories to provide cheap fast food. It did not take long for Mumbai to accept this snack and soon vada pav became a demanding fast food for not just factory workers but also for other citizens as well. In 2008, Shiv Sena staged a recipe competition between 27 professional vada pav vendors from Mumbai. The winning recipe was named “Shiv Vada.”

Acceptance

50 years after the invention of vada pav, it has crossed boundaries of the Mumbai and in now accepted as one of the most common street foods in India. But, no matter its popularity among the country, vada pav still holds its significance in Maharashtra and mostly in Mumbai.

Expansion

Today, every street corner in Mumbai has a vada pav wallah. A corporate house has made a killing out of mass producing it. Vada pav stalls is now the core source of income for many families in Mumbai and its acceptance in the city makes sure that the popularity and demand does not reduce. The business of vada pav is not just limited to small vendors but has also acted as a base for many fast food chains. Goli vada pav, is one such example which has taken vada pav outside of Mumbai streets and presented it to different regions with more exotic flavors.