The tiffin streets of Luxmibazar
Why students still love after-school snacks by street vendors in one of the oldest school zones in Old Dhaka
When the last bell rang, Nirma, a student of class five at St Francis Xavier's Girls High School, gleefully came running out of the gate with three of her friends towards the 'Acharwala mama' - Jamal Hossain, to buy sweet and sour pickles.
"I usually have the Jujube or mango-flavoured pickles. But I have to have a pickle every day after school," little Nirma said.
Nirma's innocence and simplicity reminded me of my childhood days when a hectic day-long school could not break our spirit. Because as soon as we stepped outside the school, a plethora of street food stalls and the friendly 'Mamas' would greet us with mouth-watering snacks.
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Luxmibazar Street in Old Dhaka hosts many of the oldest schools in Dhaka; starting from Dhaka's first government school - Dhaka Collegiate School, the first private school - Pogose Laboratory School and College and the first missionary school - St Gregory's High School.
Other schools such as St Francis Xaviers' Girls' High School and Government Muslim High School are also more than a hundred years old. These schools boast prominent alumni such as Buddhadeb Basu, Tajuddin Ahmed, Mustafa Kamal, Kamal Hossain, Amartya sen and many others.
Thanks to the numerous schools as well as colleges, the region, unsurprisingly, has become a hub for street food vendors. Many of them, like Jamal, have been doing this for generations.
"I have been selling pickles for two years. But my family, particularly my uncle Hazi Muhammad Siddiqur Rahman operated the same business for 47 years. I usually sell seven to eight types of pickles," said Jamal.
Among Jamal's pickles, the children love Boroi and olive pickles the most. These greasy flavourful treats are sold in small plastic packets. Boroi is sold in both sweet and sour versions whilst olive is extremely sour and spicy.
But Jamal is only one of many such vendors. As you head north from Bahadur Shah Park and onto the Municipal Office Street of Luxmibazar, you will be greeted by countless street food vendors selling an assortment of luscious offerings: fuchka, chotpoti, ice cream, jhal muri, lemonades, pickles and so on.
For instance, right near Bahadur Shah Park, close to Jagannath University, you will find a crowd of young people waiting for a plate of tiny singaras costing Tk3 per piece. The spot has no name, but a set of people have been selling these singaras for almost fifteen years.
These small singaras might taste a bit too spicy for some, as these contain a generous amount of green chilis that are mixed with the potato filling.It is still a favourite of the students who gather there to have the miniature singara.
As you move a few meters north, towards the Muslim Government High School, you will find the veteran Sikandar, selling delicious Chola-boot to a crowd of kids in the torrid summer. Since 1988, he has been serving this dish containing chickpeas, cooked potatoes, spices and tamarind water to the students of Luxmibazar. Students claim this dish is one of the best and cheapest ways to have a filling meal. And it costs only Tk20 per plate.
A former student of St Francis Xavier's Girls High School, Sheikh Aphsara Rukhsar, who graduated school in 2013, told us, "Sikandar mama's chola-boot was a routine snack for me, and even after nine years of leaving school, I still stop by to have this. The taste is still the same, but the portion is less generous."
A few more steps north, ahead of St Francis Xavier's, where I met Nirma, there is a line of shops which sells stationary as well as affordable snacks like sandwiches, burgers and chicken fries at prices as cheap as Tk30 to Tk50. These not-so-perfect fast foods are one of the most popular tiffin items as the generous portion of the items can certainly satisfy hungry children.
As you walk further north, you will find another group of street food vendors, between St Gregory and St Francis. To beat the heat, they offer choices like malai kulfi, milk cone ice cream, coconut water, and colourful flavoured ice-gola, each of which cost only Tk30. I had ice-gola with lemon, mango and strawberry syrups. The resultant taste of the mix was peculiar to my tastebuds, but it did quench my thirst.
But Khokon Mama's lemonade, right in front of St Gregory, is one of the favourites of students of Luxmibazar, especially the Gregorians, as students of St Gregory call themselves.
"A glass of lemonade cost Tk10, and when I started selling lemonades 40 years ago, each glass or pack of lemonade cost only Tk2. Every former student of St Gregory has tasted my drinks and they still respect me," said Khokon.
However, Khokon Mama's lemonade sure tasted a lot better a few years ago, when he used a special way of making it with ice, lemon, jaggery and syrup, beaten with traditional tools. Sadly for the lover of the original recipe, Khonon Mama now makes his drink with lemon and flavoured drink powder.
Moving ahead, you may find Prince of Wales, Ahmed's Burgers, and Rana Fast Food. One of the favourite choices for school tiffin is a butter bun, a long cream-filled bun from Prince of Wales, known as the city's oldest bakery. It costs only Tk15 and it is widely popular for its affordability and taste.
Ahmed Burger Shop also offers baked goods and is well known for its tiffin and after-school snacks. The most popular item among them is the burger, which costs Tk120. Parents with a bit higher budget prefer Ahmed Burger as it offers a variety of items like chicken cheeseburgers, sandwiches, hotdogs, rolls, pastries, etc.
In the case of Rana Fast Food, its famous vegetable pakora costing Tk5 per piece is a favourite back-to-home snack of many students and parents. They are crunchy and filled with vegetables. However, I found them extremely oily. Ador, a student of St Gregory's college said, "I am aware of the fact that these pakoras are unhealthy, but before going to the coaching it has become a ritual to grab a few of them."
Even while the food was great, we cannot say that it was the healthiest option, particularly for children.
Unfortunately, there are not many healthy options in these school zones. One of the St Gregory parents said, "I do not like for kids to eat these unhealthy snacks, but the amount of street food vendors near the school is overwhelming, and as a result, children naturally end up eating their foods."
To redeem myself, I finished the day-long adventure by drinking coconut water, seemingly the only healthy option available.
