Kashmir's New Hunger

Young people in Kashmir are eating very differently from the generation before them. You can see it in every corner of daily life. Fried chicken shops stay full until late evening. College canteens serve more cold drinks than tea, even when the air is freezing. Students walk into class with chips and packaged snacks as if they're part of the uniform.

Home-cooked rice, vegetables and slow meals still exist, but the pull of quick, exciting food has grown stronger than most families ever imagined.

One evening at a coaching center near Bypass, a group of teenagers stood around a small stall, waiting for plates of momos and bottles of soft drink. They still had an hour before class, though many had skipped lunch at home.

A boy in a school sweater said he liked this food because it felt“more fun.” His friend nodded. Neither seemed to think about how often this fun ends with stomach aches.

Their teacher watched from the doorway, worried. He said several students complain of acidity every week. He keeps antacids in his desk now, something he never expected to need as a teacher.

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