Video: American Woman Tries Chaat And Parathas In Chandni Chowk, Praises Street Food Hygiene

Street food is the heartbeat of every city, drawing locals and tourists alike with its irresistible flavours. Few places embody that spirit better than Delhi’s Chandni Chowk. Generations-old food stalls here serve everything from chaats to parathas.

While concerns about hygiene and food safety are often part of the conversation around street food, one New York-based vlogger had a very different experience. Chloe Jade explored the iconic market, taking recommendations from a local and sampling several traditional dishes at well-known eateries.

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In a video shared on Instagram, Chloe said, “I’ve never had food whizzing in my entire life. Let’s see if I can survive in India. Welcome to Chandni Chowk.” Her first food tasting took her to the famous Paranthe Wali Gali in Chandni Chowk. She went for the lemon-potato paratha and the khoya-rabdi one, each costing Rs 250 and Rs 300 respectively.

“This is a very famous street in New Delhi, India, known for its street food. And yes, this is definitely going to be a bit of rage bait for the people who hate India, but sorry. First up is Parathe Wali Gali,” the vlogger shared.

Chloe further claimed that the establishment making the parathas was very clean, even though the lane itself was quite busy. “I’m sure the haters will say that it’s not, but it definitely is super clean…here we have our lemon and potato paratha…with all these chutneys on the side that you can dip into. This was so so good. And then we also got two types of sweet paratha,” she added.

The influencer then tried Daulat Ki Chaat, which turned out to be an unexpectedly delightful experience. “I have to say I was super skeptical when I first saw this because I was like, what is this even made out of? It’s basically just milk, different types of milk and one of them is burnt, so it gets this really nice caramelised flavour. This was so so good,” she said.

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Next on her food trail was Dahi Bhalla. Out of everything she tasted, this dish ranked the lowest for her. “I guess it’s made out of lentils, but it just was not my favourite. It wasn’t bad, but the yoghurt was kind of sweet, so it just didn’t really work for me. Also, the guys working downstairs weren’t super nice,” Chloe mentioned.

The video went viral on Instagram, with several people sharing their experiences in the comments section.

One user wrote, “I’ve never got food poisoning in India and I literally eat all the street food. I honestly think a lot of westerners just get an upset stomach from all the spices and rich food and then call it food poisoning.”

Another added, “Sometimes I honestly feel foreigners don’t know the difference between the consequences of eating authentic spicy Indian food and actual food poisoning. Glad u enjoyed the food scene in Delhi, cause it’s great!”

A foreigner shared, “Omg I ate at so many of these same spots. I preface this by saying that India is my favorite food country in the world, but I did get Giardia and my friend got Typhoid after we ate on that street. It’s really the luck of the draw.”

“I still dream about the jalebi I had there,” read a comment.

Amid all this, Chandni Chowk once again emerged as one of India’s most celebrated culinary destinations.