Train food and the carriage vendors what are the snacks sold on the trains and should I buy from them
I am charmed by the train life here and on my first journey there was a parade of VENDORS walking through the carriages selling food and drinks calling out their wares What do they sell (I saw vadai some wrapped things tea corn) is it safe and good to buy from them what should I try and is it part of the experience and are there proper meals or just snacks on the long train journeys I love the idea of eating my way through a train ride Train travellers and locals please tell me about the train food
3 Answers from travellers
Local who rides the trains often so the train food picture a lovely part of the journey The vendors YES a constant parade of VENDORS walks through the carriages on most journeys (especially the longer and busier routes) calling out their wares it is a charming characterful part of train travel here a moving buffet coming to your seat What they sell the classics VADAI (vadai) the savoury lentil fritters (the ulundu vadai and the prawn isso vadai) hot and crisp a train favourite WRAPPED SHORT EATS and buns (the bakery items rolls patties cutlets buns in paper) GRAM and nuts (kadala the spiced chickpeas in a paper cone roasted peanuts) FRESH FRUIT (cut mango pineapple with chilli salt) and whole fruit CORN (boiled or grilled corn on some routes) SWEETS and biscuits ICE CREAM (on some trains) and crucially TEA and COFFEE (the tea sellers with their flasks pouring sweet milky tea into cups a train ritual) cool DRINKS and water it is mostly SNACKS not full meals Should you buy YES it is part of the experience and mostly safe and good buy the HOT FRESH items (the vadai fresh from a busy seller the just made short eats) the sealed and packaged items (biscuits drinks) and the tea (boiled) are safe use normal street food sense (busy seller high turnover hot and fresh the food safety threads) the cut fruit is fine from a clean fast seller it is cheap (a few rupees) and delicious Meals on long journeys it is mostly the vendor SNACKS on the long intercity trains there may be a basic buffet or pantry car on some (and you can bring your own food or a lunch packet the buth packet threads great for a train) but do not expect a dining car the vendor snacks and your own packed food are the way to eat What to try the VADAI (a must the quintessential train snack) the tea (the sweet milky train tea is part of the ritual) the spiced gram and a paper cone of nuts and cut fruit graze your way through the journey So enjoy the train food the parade of carriage VENDORS selling vadai short eats spiced gram fresh fruit corn sweets and the lovely sweet train TEA is a charming part of the journey buy the hot fresh items and the tea (normal street food sense) it is cheap safe and delicious bring a lunch packet for a proper meal on long rides and graze your way through one of the great train experiences
The vadai is the essential train snack hot crisp and savoury handed to you through the window or down the aisle pair it with a cup of the sweet milky tea from the tea seller and you have the perfect rolling Sri Lankan train meal it is half the fun of the journey
The parade of vendors selling vadai short eats spiced gram fruit and the sweet train tea is a charming part of the journey so buy the hot fresh items and the tea with normal street food sense and bring a lunch packet for a proper meal this is exactly the eat my way through the train ride experience I hoped for thank you
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