Phuchka or panipuri or golgappa: What matters is the taste, not the name

Gol Gappe
Gol Gappe
Gol Gappa
Temptation unlimited- Golgappa/Phuchka/Paanipuri

Try walking past a stand selling phuchka (or panipuri,gup chup, gol gappa or pani patase, whichever name you are familiar with ) and try resisting the urge to have at least 5 or 10 of them. I call them phuchka, as of course if you are there in Kolkata you will not think of any other name.  It is said that the smell of  phuchka triggers your taste buds and then the temptation emerges to gulp them one after the other.

Gol Gappe filling
The filling is very important.

The names-Golgappa, Panipuri and Phuchka are the rulers in the field. I think the difference between them  is what goes inside and the water. The spices make all the difference. You will find jal jeera, pudina and saunth, flavored water in Golgappa. I am yet to try Mumbai’s Pani puri, but what I have heard is that the water served is not so tangy.

A plate of seven paanipuri is around 175 calories
This equals to around 175 calories

Here, I am not trying to analyze which is better as a Mumbaikar will vouch for Paanipuri, Dilliwala for Golgappa and a Kolkatan for phuchka. The winner here is the snack and it is so popular that people brag about how many phuchkas they can eat. There is another unique aspect you generally don’t fall sick having phuchkas in moderate quantity. The tamarind water does the trick.

Now to come to the calorie intake, well four phuchkas equal to 100 calories. Not much at all. Feel good and gulp some right now.

To know more about Indian Food, you may refer to the following:

Pani Puri

Indian Cuisine Map

Central Indian Cuisines