Dubbawhat?

[Suvir Saran]

Suvir, are you saying that the meals are not prepared at home.  For some reason I was under the impression that they were.

Ben

I am saying they are prepared at home, not your own home.

So, many Indians prefer these to what they will find for lunch at restaurants. Hence the great popularity and success of Dubbas.

The food is food cooked at homes and served in simple fashion. And it tastes like home food and has no fuss.

[Bux]

Something new rather than a tradition, are the Telemadres in Spain. There's a thread on this in the Spain forum. It's not quite the same thing, but of some interest to those fascinated by the idea of having a home cooked lunch at work.

[Monica Bhide]

But why wouldn't the workers simply bring home their own tiffin box..thereby cutting the job in half and perhaps reducing the payment to the bicyclist..not that  it would be a positive for the  wallas,  but it just seems more logical.

Kim, couple of things here --

1. Traveling by the Mumbai local is a adventure in itself. Most people are happy if they can get themselves onto the crowded trains.

2. Most offices, remember these are middle class workers, are not equipped with refrigerators or microwaves, so the food cannot stay fresh. Also there is a mindset that people want "fresh, homecooked food" for lunch..

3. Labor is dirt cheap and that is why this system has been so successful and works so well. It is quite an affordable luxury to have your mom/wife cook something fresh in the morning and have it delivered to you at lunch.

Also all the dubbawalas, I talked with picked up their boxes from individual homes, not a central place where the food was cooked.

[Monica Bhide]

I remember seeing this from an Indian movie on PBS it reminds me of Korean/ Japanese bento boxes without the service!

Okay, I do not know what bento boxes are... can you talk a bit more about them?

[Monica Bhide]

Suvir, are you saying that the meals are not prepared at home.  For some reason I was under the impression that they were.

Ben

They actually offer "both services" is what I was told, most bachelors ask for the commerical home cooked and most married folks get the food from their homes. It really is very fasinating. They even carry ingenious little aluminuim containers that let the food stay warm all the way.

This is so cultural. Most Indians a few years ago did not eat out that much, low disposable income. Things are now changing, salaries are increasing, and so spending is increasing. Most of them still prefer home cooked meals.

The Dubbawalas, incidentally were listed in a major Indian magazine as one of the greatest achievements in India since its independence some 50 years ago.

[Kim WB]

3. Labor is dirt cheap and that is why this system has been so successful and works so well. It is quite an affordable luxury to have your mom/wife cook something fresh in the morning and have it delivered to you at lunch.

Actually, I understand this concept. while in China. at a major Dept. store, I was suprised to have two or three assisatnts help me slect othe product, then sent ot a department to "wrap" it, then to another counter to pay... 5 or 6 people took place in a transaction that in the US would be maybe 2 or 3...again, a labor issue. Fascinating story, once again.

[Monica Bhide]

3. Labor is dirt cheap and that is why this system has been so successful and works so well. It is quite an affordable luxury to have your mom/wife cook something fresh in the morning and have it delivered to you at lunch.

Actually, I understand this concept. while in China. at a major Dept. store, I was suprised to have two or three assisatnts help me slect othe product, then sent ot a department to "wrap" it, then to another counter to pay... 5 or 6 people took place in a transaction that in the US would be maybe 2 or 3...again, a labor issue. Fascinating story, once again.

Here is a funny one for you Kim -- When I visited India this time, it was the first time after the release of Spice is RIght. My cousins were all excited to see me, we love your book they said and we read it. Finally, I asked one of them, what did you like -- and she pointed to a few recipes and said I loved these. Now it was my turn -- But you dont cook, I said to her.

She said," oh yes, i dont cook, but I marked all the recipes i wanted to try and had the chef make them" -- oh, cheap labor is right!

[Pan]

I finally read the article. Really interesting!

Also, I'm going to see if my local Barnes & Nobles carries your book, Monica. I got a gift certificate for my birthday in February which I still haven't used yet.

[anil]

Apart from the inexpensive labour issue it is also that of the urban geography. Keep in mind, this dabbawalla enterprise is quite old - I remember it being in place as a kid; successful and efficient as it has been in Mumbai (Bombay) it has not been replicated successfully in any indian city.

[Monica Bhide]

great point Anil, thanks!!

[Sujatha]

Very Interesting...

It is amazing that while I am reading this thread wondering about how Tiffinbites is doing today & I found this article on Tiffinbites in MSNBC today...

Check out this link if you are interested:

http://www.msnbc.com/news/969192.asp?0cv=CB20

[Monica Bhide]

Hey welcome to the forum -- looking forward to lots more posts by you!

[Monica Bhide]

Check this out --

" The famous dabbawallas of Mumbai, who deliver tiffins to lakhs of officegoers in the city through an indigenous management system, are expected to receive a royal visitor next week -- Prince Charles, the heir to the British throne." ---http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/cms.dll/html/uncomp/articleshow?msid=255227

[FoodZealot]

Currently airing on PBS - Dabbawallas. You may be able to catch it in the LA area or on satellite.

Truly fascinating!