Sunday, September 12, 2010

kala Khatta

Today, I had my first gola.


Gola is an ice candy made of crushed ice and flavored syrup, not very different from an American Snow cone. Kala Khatta is the name of the tangy syrup that was poured on the gola I had today.
I thought it tasted like a weird but satisfying mixture of uncarbonated coke and chat masala.

Golas are a Mumbai thing. Every Mumbaikar, who was ever informed that I had never tried a gola, launched into a sermon about how that was an absolute shame. It was part of the Mumbai culture. If you are a true Mumbaikar, you should have the guts to eat something off a roadside stall and live to tell the tale. If you die, you were never meant to be a Mumbaikar.

I had never tried a gola before, primarily due to the fear of diarrhea, death and similar things. But today, I faced my fears.

I'd gone to Girgaum Chowpatty to shoot for a short film project for class. One of the scenes involved my classmate buying a gola and that incidentally turned out to be our last shot for the day.

We got the shot and while everyone returned their caps and cameras to their bags, I was left holding the gola. Now I had seen how the gola was made, all the while twisting my face into many comical shapes and making various "eww" noises, but when I held it in my hand and felt the gola stare at my eyes obsessively, I was a goner.

It truly was the taste of Mumbai and standing there and eating it the Mumbai way, knowing that I might not survive to tell this tale made me oddly excited. The gola was ultimately yanked out of my hand and I was left giggling like an idiot, a little high on crushed ice. 

If you come to Mumbai, try a gola. If you don't die, promote the product and publicize it. Only Rs. 5.


13 comments:

Vadapoche said...

u get golas here in namma chennai, try the ones opposite Alsa Mall in the corner shop

Raveena said...

Really? I've never seen any.

Next time, I'll be on the look out.

Moeka said...

Raveena! The description of yourself watching the gola being made is so great. I can totally imagine you making funny faces like that. Congrats for living to live the tale! Do you miss our mayo?

Moeka said...

I meant "tell the tale," but live works too, I guess. :)

Raveena said...

@ Moeka - Ha ha! ofcourse I miss it! I haven't had mayo since I got back because I have to pay extra for it here and I'm just feeling way to miserly! :P

vineet said...

i thnk i hv live ma whole life eating tjhose golas n bhelpuris n chaats n golgappas. damn dey add flaovors, nyhow gud 2 see u overcame ur fear. nice post overall

Sam said...

You're not outside my blog anymore? :P

How u doin?

The Depressed Doormat said...

@Jolly: Eating a gola in Madras is like eating chilli beef in Bombay. Sure, it can be done and no one is going to file a suit, but they each have distinctive flavors derived from the city, its life-style and the energy of the people. I would never eat chilli beef made outside Madras and Golas anywhere but Bombay.

@The lone gola eater: Weren't you supposed to wait for me to get there before you had your first gola? I am heart-broken. And why did they yank it from you? Golas cost 20 bucking fucks???

Raveena said...

@ Vineet - Thank you! :)

@ Sam - You! Sam boy! I am still outside your blog. Invisible though, like a ninja :D

Raveena said...

@ Doormat

Yes, I thought we could go eat Kulfi since I'm not scared of those.

Gola is 20 rupees because of inflation. Haven't you been reading the papers? :P

just checkin said...

haha. bloody brilliant.

Raveena said...

Gola no? Yes Yes :D

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