As you can see in the previous posts I have published every couple of months here to announce new categories (there’s an overview here) the list of new categories is typically 10 or less. But this time… there’s a genuine avalanche: 46!
There are quite a few new categories for specific restaurant types (as we’ve seen also on previous occasions). Some are from the financial sector (Business banking service and Cooperative bank), other are related to relative recent phenomena in society (like Drone shop, Electric vehicle charging station contractor or Shared-use commercial kitchen) but the most striking trend is that there is a specific focus on categories that are linked to Asia or specific Asian countries. Take e.g. Aadhar center, Anganwadi center or Government ration shop: as far as I can judge those will be specifically meant for or at least will come in very handy in India. Probably @TravellerG or @TusharSuradkar can provide further details here.
The full list of new categories then (in alphabetical order):
If the average is 10 for a new batch of categories added each time, this is definitely a riot of new ones.
The following are clearly meant for India:
Aadhar center - Aadhar Card is the same as a Social Security Number or SSN in the US. Anganwadi center - These are state-funded community schools + health centers. local guide @KalyanPal had asked for the ICDS category. Assamese restaurant - Food from the state of Assam. Auto rickshaw stand - These are 3-seater passenger vehicles and have designated pick up spots on literally every street of every small and big town of India. Bangle Shop - The metal or glass ring that women wear on their wrists in India. Just like the engagement ring in the west, wearing bangles are an integral part of the marriage ceremony. Bike wash - These are similar to a car wash center but exclusively for 2-wheelers in India. Cooperative bank - This special category of banks is neither operated by the government nor by the private sector. Cycle rickshaw stand - These are 3-seater passenger vehicles like a rickshaw but are foot-peddled vehicles. Government ration shop - These are state-run shops that sell grain, sugar, and kerosene at subsidized rates. Indian sweets shop - This needs further sub-categories like Bengali Sweets since this is a huge industry in India. Momo restaurant - These are steamed dumplings enjoyed all over India but are sold exclusively by residents from the north-eastern hilly region. Paan shop - These are beetle nut shops and every single street in India would have 2- of these. See a wonderful article about Paan here. Paisa restaurant - Not sure what this is but the Indian Rupee is made of 100 Paisa Panipuri shop - Pani puri is the national snack of India but 98/100 these shops are moving carts that change place daily - so not sure one would be able to use this effectively. Saree Shop - This is the national attire of India. Tiffin center - These are takeaway food counters where the consumers subscribe on a monthly basis and do not pay for every order. Tire repair shop - These are found on every street in India and unlike the US where there are also similar tire-change shops, these shops in India strictly cater to repairing the tire and won’t even repair the rim or the wheel
It is well known that ‘cooperative’ is huge in Scandinavian countries.
In India too the Cooperative movement is big and unfortunately concentrated in the western states like Maharashtra and Gujarat.
The region around Pune where both I and @C_T live is well known for its hundreds of cooperative sugar mills.
Also, you would be surprised to know that India’s largest milk producer is not a private company but a cooperative called Amul and is located in neighboring Gujarat.
Thanks for sharing the details. You might also be surprised: while in University I helped my old professor prepare his last report on Operation Flood about how the Danish Cooperative movement helped Indian farmers organize and build the dairy industry. Also, I studied the food system of some small villages just south of Mysore behind Chamundi Hill. But it is many years back.
Indeed @MortenCopenhagen it might still take a while before they all get translated, but the experience of the last year or so is that sooner or later more or less all newly added ones also get translated. A few in that list of 46 were available already end 2020 (like, indeed, Cooperative bank), and have been translated already, but most seem to be very recent additions, so we’ll have to be a bit patient there. (Last time I checked was a couple of weeks ago and at that point there were only 3 or 4 new ones compared to Octover 2020)
Thank you ever so much @TusharSuradkar for adding those details - with such a big list I had not had the time yet to check what exactly each of them meant, so I kinda hoped someone from the Indian community would jump in an provide the local knowledge
@TusharSuradkar also for ‘Government ration shop’ there was an Indian local guide asking for this on Connect a while ago - unfortunately I can’t find his post back (it might have been merged into the huge 'Reconsider new criteria’ post - but that now has 47 pages of comments to go through)
Lechon restaurant is very common in The Philippines. Lechon is a dish based on meat from baby pigs.
Poke bar could be a place serving the now popular Poké Bowls. Which are originally from Hawaii. Lots of cut primarily raw vegetables arranged nicely in at bowl.
@TusharSuradkar let’s call Auto rickshaws Tuk-tuks . In the Philippines they are known as Tricycles
I always knew that the dairy industry and coooperative movement were big in Denmark but its influence and inspiration for India’s operation flood is unfortunately now well-known. I would definitely like to read more about this connection @MortenCopenhagen
What was the highlight of your food system study from the Mysuru area? I am curious to know.
The tuk-tuk in India is distinct from the Auto-Rickshaw both in terms of its design and purpose.
The only common factor is that they are 3-wheeled automotive
The auto-rickshaw or simply the rickshaw in India is meant for passenger movement and also extensively used as a goods carrier with some modifications.
The tuk-tuk is solely meant for passenger movement.
The rickshaw strictly carries 3 passengers excluding the driver whereas the tuk-tuk is designed and meant to carry a minimum of 10 passengers.
The rickshaw works on a fare running between any two points A to B basis and has a money meter just like a taxi.
A tuk-tuk doesn’t have a meter and runs between designated routes with fixed charges between stages. A stage could be a fixed distance along a designated route and one has to pay a fixed amount irrespective of where one board or deboards the tuk-tuk on that journey.
Here’ a typical tuk-tuk with 2 x 4 seats on the rear side and also note the extra seats beside the driver, a total of 10 passengers.
I will try to find the old document. I’m not sure to be successful, @TusharSuradkar .
We were 10 food technology and nutrition students spending a month collecting all kinds of data to understand many aspects of the food supply and its short comings in three villages. I measured kids heights and weights. We found it kind of strange that many of the kids did not know their birth date/age. Others studied the crops and fluctuating value over time. It was amazing to get an understanding of the importance of agriculture and also religion and the cast system. I revisited after almost 25 years and saw how a irrigation had made a huge difference in the living standards of the locals.
Of my fellow students from our trip to Mysore (where the local CFTRI food research institute was super helpful) one is my wife today and another one is the president of Copenhagen University.
You will be surprised people keep funky name for restaurant to attract crowd
Paisa vasool restaurant ( Means value for money) this name my kids told.
The categories most name of restaurant.
Shawarma restaurant is where you get shawarma ( chicken Barbeque shredded ) they add mayonnaise onion, beetroot, cabbage with different sauces.on pizza base bread they used .
Tortilla Restaurant - is also same base is like chapati bake on that put bake beans, spice sauce with shredded cabbage, onion, beetroot, / tofu is used/ corn is used.
Co-operative banks are run by group of people management is there but since my bank had scam we should open account in such bank lots of fraud is done.
Nevertheless, these categories are not available in regional languages yet. I checked setting app language to Marathi but failed to find a Pani Puri shop.
That’s a great news @JanVanHaver@TusharSuradkar for all. Ration Shops play a very essential part in India. During this Covid, Pandemic Government provided free ration to poor people through Ration Shops. Besides, the new Paan Shop will be also my favorite category. I have a concern, before we use to categorize Aadhar Centre in the Government Office category. Now, do we need to edit the category after these categories are published!