Adil Najam
Sometimes a picture says itself all that needs to be said.
This one does so on the billboard at the back of the guy in this traditional Siri Paye (should we say, ‘Head and Hooves’; someone please help me with the proper English term for this!) shop in Lakshmi Chowk, Lahore. Here is what the board says:
Main Text:
Desi bakray kay atum bumm Sri Paaye.
Other Text:
Aik baar khao gay, baar baar aoo gay!
Behtareen masaalouN say tayar shodda!
Amritsar waalouN ki fakhriya peshkash!
So, you have a Pakistani bill board, mentioning Atom Bombs, Amritsar, and the heads and hooves of a severed animal! The results, one might guess, must be ‘Politically Delicious!’
Is comparing food to Atom Bombs really the best way to attract customers?
Yes we want an explosion of taste; but how big an explosion! From the look of things in this picture, however, its a sales pitch that seems to work. I guess national pride, culinary passions, and that whiff of nostalgia added by the Amritsar mention are a winning formula. Plus, nothing like food to get us Lahoris excited.
As with our earlier post about Nihari in Karachi, I will refrain from explaining exactly what Siri Paye is, but maybe some reader will. Thanks to reader Asma for telling me about this wonderful picture, which is posted on Flickr by Edge of Space, but taken by ~Fursid. There is very interesting, very Pakistani, banter between them there. Our thanks to all for the wonderful memories this picture brings back.
Depending on your taste buds and appetite for them, Siri-paya continues to be a favorite dish of the Amritsaris and Lahoris,,,although it is also eaten with pleasure in other parts of the country. It is taken with rice for dinner but it also tastes wonderful with ”Kulcha” or ”Nan’ when taken as breakfast. Both cattle and goat/sheep payas are eaten as a ‘delicacy”.In Punjabi language, the portion of the ‘head’ which is consumed is called ”KHUD”" and ”Zabaan”while the ‘feet” or ‘calves” of the both are commonly known as ”KHARORAY” and eaten cooked with pleasure by the choosy ‘gourmet”.
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I haven’t read all the comments but most tend to ignore the fact that bill board mentions ‘bum’ and not ‘bomb’. This is not my observation, Tariq Ali observed the same in his book ‘Will Pakistan Survive’ a long ago. Urdu rendition of bomb seems to have a wider and deeper meaning.
And I hope the chef washed his hands after blowing his nose and there is protection from ‘birdie bombs’ from the tree; or does that add to the taste!
Zainub, sirri’s the HEAD of bakra :D
Never been able to muster up courage for two dishes; Siri-pai and Nihari.
As a separate issue does anyone else not like teenday as well?
I don’t know what Siri is, but Paye is the leg portion, and if you can overcome the initial grossness issue (Paye don’t look like the most beautiful dish you’ll ever see when cooked and ready)…its quite delicious really, and healthy and nutritious too I’m told.
Atom mean BAD…good bad not bad bad…Something atomic in Pakistan means the ultimate experience, so very thing good there is Atomic.