In a multi-country effort to save the many affected street food vendors due to the COVID19 pandemic, the South Asian Association for Gastronomy has launched the campaign #savestreetfood across India, Nepal and Bangladesh.
SAAG, a think tank drawn from across South Asia has an annual platform called “The Food For Thought Fest” which is India’s only international gastronomy platform. SAAG is a collective of hospitality industry professionals, food scholars and policy influencers from South Asian nations who believe in promoting regional unity through culinary diversity.
The Nepal campaign will be headed by Shaguni Singh Sakya, Executive Director, Kathmandu Guest House. “Street food is an essential part of daily eating for many locals here in Nepal – momo stalls, bhattis, and roti pasals. However, tourists dare not experiment with street food as they have been warned that they may have stomach issues. The real flavour of any country comes from the streets, and post Covid it’s high time we make an effort to promote our food heritage through the real tastes of the streets,” she states.
savestreetfood will work on a multi-country effort to help street vendors to upgrade themselves post pandemic by working with the government on offering a certification to street food vendors. The certification will entail basic training in hygiene and protocols to be followed in the preparation, dispensing and disposal of food creating trust among local and foreign customers.
