Street food vendors stop using onions

With onion prices soaring, most roadside eateries in Berhampur for the time being have started to avoid using onion and garlic in their food. Owners of these roadside eateries say they are doing so as a mark of respect to religious beliefs of people during the Hindu month of Shravan. Most of the eateries have put up new banners in front of their units to advertise that they have turned pure vegetarian for the month of Shravan.

Many owners like Sudhakar Raula have however divulged the real reason behind their decision. Price of good quality onion which was around Rs.15 per kilogram two weeks ago is now over Rs. 30 per kilogram. “So, this month of Shravan seem to have come as a boon in disguise for us. As we take the plea of holy month Shravan for not using onion and garlic in our dishes, most of the customers do not complain about it. But in reality we are just saving our expenses by not using onion, which is being sold at higher price,” he said.

These eateries are making more profits although prices of onion have increased due to the month Shravan. They expect prices to stabilize by the end of Shravan.

Radish and cabbage are being used as substitutes for onion in Indian restaurants as well as Chinese eateries. The economically backward families, however, are a worried lot. For them at times onion is the only vegetable they can afford to accompany watered rice with. “If onion prices continue to remain high, I may have to make my familyturn into totally vegetarian by becoming Vaishnavs”, said a Baiya Sethi, a menial labourer.

Content Courtesy: The Hindu