I am amused at this advert which appears frequently on TV channels during the ongoing World Cup. It is a bunch of young men and women who are desperately looking for a particular snack that they say is necessary while watching cricket.
I remember how it was in the sixties when all of us were listening to cricket commentaries rather than watching a match live within the comfort of our homes. Eating delicious snacks during the match was at best a fantasy.
If you were lucky to have a radio at home and were not listening to the commentary at a neighbor’s house subject to the whims and fancy of the host than maybe if dear mother had some spare time she would drum up something at home like a fruit chaat or a bowl of spicy potatoes.
You would be surprised how popular was this bowl of potatoes which was nothing more than boiled potatoes mixed with available condiments. Home-made snacks were also served to visitors as in the early days of Pakistan it was not considered appropriate to visit someone during dinner time. The standard visiting time was in later afternoon or early evening.
Guests were served with tea and if affordable for the hosts snacks from the nearby sweet shop which could be found in most localities of the city. Namak parey was the standard snack offered and if the hosts had close relationship with the visitors there would be samosa and jalebi as well.
Today there is a whole new world of snacks, which are not manufactured on the spot but come wrapped in colorful wrappers, glittering boxes and eye-catching designs.
Modern-day snacks are not only attractive but prepared scientifically keeping in view not only the taste of the consumers but also the demands of their health. This is now a multi-billion dollar industry and all manufacturers are engaged in a tough competition to attract the attention of their consumers.
A big difference between the snacks of yester years and those we find on shop shelves today is the complete information you can find on modern snacks that educates you about the ingredients used and in many cases also the side-effects if any that can be faced due to the consumption of these snacks.
The details about the ingredients greatly help the consumers who are also better informed these days and have learnt what ingredient is not suited to their health or might aggravate any health condition they might be already suffering.
There are some who argue that snacks can cause some problems like obesity but, on the other hand, there are those who believe that snacks during the day provide a boost of energy if there has been a long gap between meals and also curbs the appetite preventing over eating at the next meal.
This is a very valid argument as we have seen people guzzling large quantities of food when there has been a long gap between meals leading to digestive problems. Eating snacks also helps maintain nutrition if someone is sick and cannot eat full meals.
Gone are the days when children had to run to the local snack shops to hastily get snacks for visitors. Nowadays, there is hardly a home in which some kind of snack or the other is not awaiting the arrival of guests. The beauty of modern-day hospitality is also the different possibilities that can be offered to guests from young to old.
The kids can be offered eatables ranging from deliciously mouthwatering chocolates and toffees to cookies and cakes and the elderly can consume a variety of sandwiches, smoothies, Jell-O, shakes and juices. Entertaining guests at home has reached new frontiers.
The beauty of this entire scenario is the fact that the hosts in any household do not have to dread the arrival of guests at any unannounced time. All over the country in most homes with reasonable income there are various snacks awaiting the arrival of friends and family.
In most cases the snacks are wholesome, healthy, and tasty and add a heightened flavor to any visit. The local sweet shop still exists but now caters mostly to ceremonial occasions, which too is big business. More on that some other time.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023