Famous Street Food of Assam

How You Can Start its Business Anywhere?

Multi-cultural cuisine is getting increasingly popular in India. More and more people are interested in trying various cuisines and experimenting with food. This is why a business in an off-beat cuisine has massive business potential. You get the opportunity to make people travel through places with their food. One such as-yet unexplored cuisine is Assamese.

Assamese food includes food and ingredients which are not well-known around the rest of the country. This makes it a unique and wonderful cuisine to be popularised. In this article, we will tell you about Assamese street food and how you can start your business in it anywhere.

Unpopular but Delicious Street Food Items of Assam

Assamese street food includes flavourful and spicy food items. It provides a wide variety of vegetarian and non-vegetarian options. Assamese cooking is influenced by Indian, Tibetan and Myanmar foods and is a fantastic mix of it all. Some of the most popular and sought-after street foods in Assam are:

1. Pitha

Pitha is one of the most popular dishes found in Assam. It is made of rice flour and can be made in a sweet as well as savoury preparation. It uses a batter of rice and is filled with a filling of either cabbage, radish, jaggery, coconut, etc. The traditional Pitha batter is steamed in a bamboo shoot and served as a breakfast dish with tea. Pitha is a must-have for any Assamese street food joint.

2. Assamese tea

Assam is popular all over the world for its teas, and you definitely cannot skip it. Tea is an integral and inseparable part of Assamese cuisine. Assam tea is a unique black tea preparation that is grown only in Assam. However, it is now available in all parts of the country, and you should make it a part of your menu.

3. Silkworm fry

Silkworm fry is a very commonly found snack in Assam. As the name suggests, it is made from silkworms, something really unknown in the rest of India. Silkworm fry has a heavy mix of spices and is a very flavourful dish. Adding something experimental like this to your menu will surely be your USP and attract many customers.

4. Laksa

Laksa is a form of noodle soup found in Assam. It has noodles made of vermicelli and a gravy of coconut milk, fish paste, vegetables and other spices. There are many other varieties of Laksa that have different flavours and gravies. Originating from Malaysia, Laksa also has an Assamese version. Noodle soups, although now popular in restaurants, are still not very commonly found in street food joints. So, you can find a way to introduce soupy noodles to the street food market with Laksa.

5. Patishapta

Patishapta is commonly found in Assam, Bengal, Bangladesh, etc. It is a sweet dish, made of milk, flour and sugar. Patishapta consists of two major elements, the crepe and the stuffing. The crepe is made of sugar and flour. The stuffing can be made with rice, milk, sugar, jaggery, coconut, etc. It is served as a roll where the sweet stuffing is filled in the middle of a crepe. Patishapta is the perfect end to an Assamese food journey.

Apart from these unique dishes, many other commonly found dishes are also a part of Assamese street food. Lusi, similar to the north Indian puri, Fuska, similar to paani puri or gol gappe, Jhalmuri made of puffed rice, and Thukpa, another form of commonly made soup noodles, are also very popular in Assam. These too can be a part of your menu to provide a wide variety of options to your customers.

Starting an Assamese Street Food Business Anywhere

Like we saw earlier, offbeat and unpopular cuisines are gaining popularity. And a business in Assamese food has massive potential. But many things need to be looked at to run a successful food business. Starting and running any business is not easy, but these tips and steps will provide you with some guidance to avoid making mistakes.

1. Background research

Research is key to the growth of any business. This applies to a food business too. Research helps in learning and gaining better perspectives on products and developing services. Before starting an Assam street food business, you must first be well versed with Assamese cuisine and its taste. You need to understand the cooking style, flavours, other peculiarities, etc. This will ensure your food has the authenticity and exact flavours.

Along with the food, it is also important to research the culture, food habits and other aspects of Assam. This will help better understand their food and also help you curate a better menu, interiors, design, etc. One of the best ways to research culture and food is to visit the place. It will give you first-hand experience in understanding the culture. However, if that is not possible, you can read books, connect with locals, and ask the experts to better understand the place. Good research will prove to be the backbone of your business, so do not compromise on it.

2. Planning

The next step after completing your research is planning. Planning involves

many aspects such as menu, budget, location, marketing, etc. While the other aspects are common and generic to all businesses, the menu setting is something unique to a food business. The menu plays a key role in your business. Your menu should incorporate the needs and requirements of every kind of customer. While curating a menu, ensure that you thoroughly test out every dish in your menu and master making it. Until the dish is perfect, it should not enter your menu. Also, make sure to get reviews and third-party feedback on your dishes before the launch of your business. Getting an outside perspective (preferably from locals of Assam) will help you improve minute details in your food and take it a step ahead.

3. Raw materials

Any food business requires many raw materials like grains, vegetables,

fruits, oil, etc. As we saw, Assamese cuisine uses various ingredients which are unique and are only found in those locations. As most food items are perishable, you will be required to procure raw materials constantly. This may add a number of additional costs to your business, and it cannot be compromised upon. So make sure you account for such additional costs.

4. Marketing and branding

Marketing today is very important for running a successful business. No business can survive without a successful marketing strategy. You may have an excellent menu and quality of food, but all your efforts will go in vain if you cannot market your business well. Social media paid ads and food delivery apps are some of the ways you can start marketing your business. To build a good marketing strategy, you can refer to your background research. A good understanding of the local cuisine and culture will help you better market your business. Monetary investment in marketing can help boost your business. However, do not be disheartened if you cannot invest right now. Even with the tools of social media, you can build an organic audience and consumer base without investing a lot of money.

5. Legal compliance

Legal compliances are necessary for every business. Non-compliance can lead to fines that will financially impact your business and even bring disrepute to your brand. Hence it is important to ensure that you procure all the licenses required to start a business. Food-related businesses require you to acquire specific licenses for quality checks.

By following these steps, you can start your Assam street food business. Assam has a rich culture and cuisine, and we hope your business can spread it throughout the world.

Also Read:

1) Famous Street Food of Kolkata
2) Famous Street Food of Delhi
3) Famous Street Foods in Gujarat
4) Famous Street Foods of Lakshadweep
5) OkCredit: Simple, Paperless & Secure solution for businesses

FAQs

Q. How much investment would be required?

Ans. You can start this business with an investment that covers only your raw material cost, to begin with. However, if you can put in more funds, you can invest in a good location, marketing, packaging, etc.

Q. How should I set the price of my products?

Ans. Pricing depends on various factors such as location, audience, the income of the audience, etc. Research on all these factors, combined with your profit margin, will help you decide the prices.

Q. What if my audience does not enjoy Assamese food?

Ans. In rare cases, your target audience may be unable to adapt to a new cuisine. In this case, you can experiment with your menu and add elements that will help your customer base connect to the cuisine. For example, you can add a fusion dish that has elements from Assam and your local cuisine. Constant revaluation is a must to run a successful business.