A tryst with gol gappas for US Consulate staffers

Published January 17, 2015
A US Consulate staffer. — Video grab
A US Consulate staffer. — Video grab

Who would have thought that putting flavoured water (pani) in hollow spheres (puris) to eat a snack of the very popular gol gappas would be somewhat of an enigma for mystified employees of the US Consulate?

"Do I dip or do I pour?" asks one of the many staffers in a feel-good video inspired by BuzzFeed's food-tasting videos, peppered with a melodious local tune in the background, as released on the consulate's Facebook page.

— Video screen grab
— Video screen grab

Featuring several US consulate employees in inter cuts, the video starts with each of the staffers seemingly intrigued by the street snack, asking a series of questions on how to consume it.

`

`

"How do I put this [pani] in this [gol gappa]?" asks one staffer.

"I think you put the sauce [pani] in the centre [puris]," says one, while another female quips, "They look like bird's nests."

A US Consulate employee consuming gol gappas. — Video screen grab
A US Consulate employee consuming gol gappas. — Video screen grab

Finally solving their predicament on how to eat the snack, the staffers are seen to be tucking in cheerfully, and their feedback is overwhelmingly positive.

"So many flavours," says a staffer, only to be echoed by another saying, "mujhe bahut pasand hai".

Talking to Dawn, Brian Asmus, spokesperson for the US Consulate, said, “I love food and I’m getting too fat! The food in Pakistan has been fantastic. We thought it would be interesting to have some officers try something different and choose dishes that they are not familiar with. It’s a good way to remind people that no matter where you live in the world, everybody loves food. There is a universal love that everyone has for food."

In a country where anti-American sentiment is rife among religious and political groups, the video — one of many — seems to be aimed at projecting a soft image of US Consulate staffers in Pakistan and an endearing attempt to connect with the country's people.

Opinion

Editorial

Energy inflation
23 May, 2024

Energy inflation

ON Tuesday, the Oil & Gas Regulatory Authority slashed the average prescribed gas prices of SNGPL by 10pc and...
Culture of violence
23 May, 2024

Culture of violence

WHILE political differences are part of the democratic process, there can be no justification for such disagreements...
Flooding threats
23 May, 2024

Flooding threats

WITH temperatures in GB and KP forecasted to be four to six degrees higher than normal this week, the threat of...
Bulldozed bill
Updated 22 May, 2024

Bulldozed bill

Where once the party was championing the people and their voices, it is now devising new means to silence them.
Out of the abyss
22 May, 2024

Out of the abyss

ENFORCED disappearances remain a persistent blight on fundamental human rights in the country. Recent exchanges...
Holding Israel accountable
22 May, 2024

Holding Israel accountable

ALTHOUGH the International Criminal Court’s prosecutor wants arrest warrants to be issued for Israel’s prime...