Best of the week | Timeless tastes of the ‘City of Lights’
Kashi. Kashi comes from the Sanskrit root word 'Kas’, which translates to “shining one", thus earning it the moniker: “city of lights".Archaeological excavations conducted near Varanasi in 2014 estimated the city to be about 4,000 years old.
Every year, pilgrims visit this ancient city in droves. Over the centuries, Varanasi's culinary landscape has evolved to cater to tourists from India and abroad.
The bustling streets of Varanasi offer the finest North Indian street food. Quick, easy to consume and delicious, it's the perfect food for tired pilgrims.
The typical Banarsi breakfast—pooris, deep fried in ghee, served with spicy potato curry Banarsi Dum Aloo and some tangy green chutney—was definitely one of the highlights. However, Tamatar chaat steals the show.
It's one of its kind and only found in Varanasi. It is a delight made of tomatoes and served with a tempering of ghee, topped off with savoury namak paarasfor an added crunch.This gastronomic brilliance, along with the soothing thandai—a milk-based concoction infused with exotic spices—and the world-renowned Banarsi paan, was recognized with a geographical indicator (GI) tag last April, sealing their status as treasured cultural heritage.Each bite of the city’s cuisine is a reminder of timeless traditions that continue to weave their magic through its mystical alleys.
. Read more on livemint.com
