Try out these global dishes in Jaipur

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The Pink City is experiencing a dynamic transformation in its culinary landscape. The influence of global food trends is evident in the city, driven by several key factors. The widespread availability of OTT platforms has exposed Jaipurites to international cuisines, sparking a curiousity and desire to experience these flavours firsthand. Entrepreneurs in the food industry are travelling abroad, learning new recipes, and bringing them back to Jaipur, adding diversity to the local food scene. Additionally, the presence of foreigners who have settled in Jaipur and opened restaurants featuring their native cuisines has further enriched the city’s gastronomic offerings. This blend of influences is reshaping Jaipur’s food culture, making it a melting pot of global flavors.

K-Bap filling the gap
Jaipur’s popular food influencer, Divya Bhati, who runs the Instagram blog ‘Jaipur Foodcoaster,’ shares her insights on how international influences such as K-drama and K-Pop, are shaping the city’s culinary scene. “Though my journey with K-drama and K-pop started in 2018, it intensified during the COVID lockdown,” she says. “Not just for me but for many others, K-dramas exude love, hope, compassion, culture, and many other lost virtues. The traditionally rich food of Korea plays a significant role in every series. Beyond noodles and coffee, these dramas often feature family bonding over making kimchi from scratch, grabbing late-night tteokbokki (Cylindrical chewy Rice cakes, boiled and then stirred in spicy red chilli paste called gochujang and soy sauce) and preparing exclusive festival foods.”

This cultural exposure inspired Divya to experiment with making tteokbokki at home, though her initial attempt at making rice cakes was not successful. “The curiosity to try new foods led me to try making tteokbokki at home, as no other café in Jaipur was offering Korean food,” she recalls. Recently, the Indian market has seen an influx of Korean noodle brands like Nissin, Nongshim, and Samyang, offering flavors such as kimchi, seafood, chicken, and jjajangmyeon. However, what Jaipur lacked was an authentic café serving traditional Korean cuisine. K-Bap, a cafe run by a Korean family with a Korean chef, has stepped in to fill this gap, offering genuine Korean flavours.

A Korean dish, Tteokbokki at K-Bap restaurant

“Jaipur’s culinary scene is not just limited to Korean influences. Italian, Mediterranean, and Mexican cuisines are well-represented in the city, and there is even a growing demand for Bhutanese cuisine, fueled by the social media trend for Ema Datshi”, points out the ace food blogger.

Global flavours galore at Hops N Taters

Bhutanese dish Ema Datshi at Hops N Taters Restaurant

Talking about Ema Datshi, which is the national dish of Bhutan, Nitika Kasliwal, Founder of Hops N Taters restaurant in Jaipur says: “Ema Datshi is an combination of cheese, onions and chillies served piping hot with Jasmine Rice. This is a recent addition in our menu but the response has been quite good.” Some other popular international food items on their menu include the Flammkuchen, a German-French thin crust rectangular shaped pizza and the Hungarian Langos, a thick crispy flatbread from the streets of Budapest, eaten with different types of toppings.

Flammkuchen, a German dish at Hops N Taters Restaurant

Reflecting on her tryst with Jaipur’s foodies, Kasliwal says, “I feel that the Jaipur palate still needs to open up more. Despite the exposure and travel, there is still a lot of hesitation to try something new. It has taken us years to get people to fall in love with our specialties.”

Jaipur gets its first authentic taqueria
While most food entrepreneurs do see a shift in people’s gastronomical choices, they all agree that there is still a lot of untapped potential in Jaipur. “In the past 5-7 years, the city’s food offerings and level of opportunity has grown exponentially with the arrival of sushi, cocktail bars and authentic Neapolitan pizza. That said, Jaipur is still 10 years behind cities like Delhi, Bombay and Bangalore, primarily due to the vast majority of the Jaipur’s diners being vegetarians. A vegetarian market creates barriers for new restaurants and chefs as they are not able to fully come into their own and experiment with pork, seafood and other meats,” shares Aanjneya Singh Bissau, founder of Dos Amigos, Jaipur’s first authentic Mexican cloud taqueria that specializes in Birria tacos.

Aanjneya lived and worked in New York for seven years, where his job required him to maintain relationships with the city’s best restaurants and bars. During this time, he connected with many Mexican chefs who introduced him to the rich and diverse world of Mexican cuisine. This fascination led him to spend a year in Los Cabos, learning to make Birria tacos from a friend and fellow chef. Inspired by the vibrant flavors, he wondered if Jaipur would appreciate an authentic taqueria focusing on Birria tacos and other regional Mexican foods. This idea led to the creation of Dos Amigos, which has received positive feedback within a few months of its inception.

“To stay true to Mexican cuisine and culture, Dos Amigos imports essential ingredients like Ancho, Guajillo, and Chipotle chilies from Mexico. These chilies, combined with their homemade corn tortillas, give their tacos a distinct and authentic flavour that has resonated well with Jaipur’s food enthusiasts”, he adds.

From Korean tteokbokki to Mexican Birria tacos, from Burmese Ema Datshi to Hungarian langos, the Pink City’s palate reflects a growing openness to diverse flavours. Yet, while Jaipur’s dining scene continues to expand, challenges persist, notably with a predominantly vegetarian market limiting experimentation with non-vegetarian cuisines. Nonetheless, pioneering ventures like Dos Amigos, K-Bap and Hops N Taters are breaking barriers, bringing authentic global cuisines to Jaipur’s tables.