The story
Vada pav was born in the mill districts of central Mumbai, where textile workers needed food that was cheap, filling and quick. In 1966 Ashok Vaidya, a snack seller near Dadar railway station, is credited with putting a batata vada, a spiced potato fritter, inside a soft pav bun with chutneys. Pav itself is usually traced to Portuguese bakers on India's west coast. The snack became an instant hit with commuters, and other vendors soon copied it. Today it is sold at stalls all over the city and is often called Mumbai's burger.
Rival claims
Sudhakar Mhatre, another Dadar vendor, is sometimes named alongside Ashok Vaidya as a co-originator in the same period, but no other city claims the snack.
Also known as wada pav, vada pao, Bombay burger.
On the Meridish menu
Vada pav was the street food course on menu No. 2 on October 2, 2026. Its clue in the game, which hints at the place without naming it:
A spiced potato fritter in a soft bun, first sold outside a busy railway station here in 1966.
In Meridish, every dish is pinned to the town or city most widely credited with creating it. A guess within 25 km scores all 100 points. How scoring works.
Sources
- thebetterindia.com/243528/mumbai-best-vada-pav-stall-food-origin-ashok-vaidya-maharashtra-history-san196
- npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/11/04/500539626/meet-mumbais-iconic-veggie-burger
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vada_pav
Food history is often disputed. Think we've pinned it in the wrong place? Tell us at hello@meridish.com, ideally with a source.
