Vada Pav Now Among The 50 Best Sandwiches In The World

'Tis the season of Vada Pav, so either grab one to savour, or step aside with whatever else is your food of choice.

For those wondering when did Mumbai's famous street food become the talk of town, it's recently been named among the world's 50 best sandwiches by TasteAtlas, and it's the only Indian one in the list. Which is fair, since it is one of the most loved and devoured foods in our country, after all. Who doesn't love vada pav, right? It shall always remaining iconic, even if Priyanka Chopra Jonas is admittedly not much of a fan!

Plus, it's convenient to eat, comfort food for most and known for giving a good combustion of flavours for all your senses. Honestly, what's not to love about vada pav? It's the unofficial food of Mumbai, loved and longed for by everyone in the city. Especially during the-ongoing monsoon season. My mouth is already salivating, by the way!

And before you come at someone because your favourite Indian sandwich hasn't made it to this list, let's be clear about one thing: Indian cuisine is not so much about sandwiches, but many other fabulous things instead. Which is why, for vada pav to get recognised globally is no easy feat.

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As per TasteAtlas, the best place to enjoy vada pav in Mumbai is Dadar's Ashok Vada Pav, by the way, so if you're in the city or will be there soon enough, do grab yourself a piece of their deliciousness.

Vada Pav is only at number 28 of TasteAtlas' list though. The number one spot has been given to Shawarma. And before you start jumping with excitement, no, it's not a dish that originated in India, unfortunately.

Though we all love and enjoy shawarma, it's actually Middle Eastern in origin, and it's Lebanon that's been credited as the founding place for it on the list. It's usually considered a wrap, yes, but shawarma is also a sandwich as per food critics, hence its credibility as the best in the world. If you've ever tasted a good, lip-smacking shawarma, you'd know.

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Interestingly, the sandwich to land the coveted second place on the list is from Asia. It's Vietnam's baguette-like Banh Mi that has been chosen for this position. It isn't quite popular in India though, since Vietnamese food is only beginning to gain some traction on the Indian palette, but if you've ever had it, you'd know why it enjoys immense popularity among food lovers in the world.

But that's the thing about food. It transcends cultures and geographical barriers, somehow finding its way into the hearts, minds and stomachs of eager food lovers everywhere. Food isn't just to satiate our tongues, it's meant to linger on everywhere for a long time after. Every time such lists come out, we're all eager to know if our favourites have made it, and complain if they don't. Never letting such lists change how we think about our favourite foods, though.

Vada pav doesn't need anyone's validation. We'll love it no matter what. It's certainly good to know, however, that people outside of India are loving it too. Here's to this spicy sandwich, and everything it means to us. Time to grab one and celebrate!