From Kismi Bar and Rasna to Fatafat and those frozen cold drink pipes, I wish if I could make them a part of my life even today. It would be much easier to bite into the childhood for a few moments again…
From Kismi Bar and Rasna to Fatafat and those frozen cold drink pipes, I wish if I could make them a part of my life even today. It would be much easier to bite into the childhood for a few moments again…
Kismi bar
While I am writing about it, I can still get the flavour of Kismi in my mouth. Remember that cardamom flavoured, irresistibly tasty toffee that we used to get inside a red wrapper? Parle’s Kismi was a hit when we were growing up and it used to come in two sizes: a normal toffee for 50 paise and the bar for 1 buck. Even today if I happen to see it at one of those rundown shops, I just can’t help but buy it in dozens. Sadly, we don’t get it at many places these days.
Papadwalle ka papad
The papadwalla was found in every locality in the evenings and outside schools during afternoons. Carrying a huge bucket made of cane in a criss-cross pattern, covered with a white sheet of plastic filled with papads, he used to be the most wanted man once the school was over for the day. He would sprinkle some mysterious masala on the perfectly-crisped papads and serve one for just 50 paise. One bite into the papad and the masala would jump and get into the nose and cause a few sneezes, but the taste was unparalleled. I so much want to bit into one right now.
Rasna
I always associate summer vacations with Rasna. Making it involved a process which was an occasion of sorts. All the cousins would gather up in the kitchen, one would dilute huge amounts of sugar in a big steel vessel, the others would decide which flavour to make and pour the mix into the sugared water. Then we would put in some ice cubes and let it refrigerate for a while. All this would invariably happen in the afternoons and we would eagerly wait for the evenings to gulp down glasses of Rasna with some sandwiches or fries.
Fatafat
We still get it at some unassuming shops and panwallas and I am really happy about it. I still have to discover a better tangy taste than Fatafat’s. As kids, whenever we would accumulate some money from the elders, specially on occasions like kanjak and rakhi, the first attempt was to move to the shop round the corner of our street and fill our stocks with Fatafat and for the whole week, we would judiciously consume one packet a day.
Pepsi pipes
I haven’t seen them after school, atleast not in Mumbai, but if you know someone who still sells them, please comment back on this post with the address details. I am talking about those frozen cold drinks inside a cylindrical, rectangular plastic pouch. You know what I am talking about… Right?
