Makai Memories: Pakistan's Beloved Corn Snack
Savoring Pakistan's street-stall 'makai' corn snacks is a cherished tradition that delights taste buds and memories alike.
Makai Cart Corn cobs (2020)SOCH Outreach Foundation
Street Cart Delights
Students around the world anticipate the school day's end, but Pakistani students have an added excitement: the variety of goodies offered by strategically positioned thela walas (street carts) lingering outside school gates during breaks.
Makai Cart Fine sand (2020)SOCH Outreach Foundation
Roasting Techniques of Street Vendors
Street vendors often use hot rock salt and sand as a medium to roast the corn at high temperatures.
Makai Cart The corn is sieved (2020)SOCH Outreach Foundation
How to Cook Makai
Fresh corn is the main component of this particular roadside snack, and its popularity reaches its peak in winters.
Makai Cart The corn is sieved (2020)SOCH Outreach Foundation
Step 1
The corn is sifted through the hot salt and starts cooking and popping.
Makai Cart The corn is sieved (2020)SOCH Outreach Foundation
Step 2:
Once the roasting is complete, corn is sifted out of the hot salt and separated.
Makai Cart The corn is sieved (2020)SOCH Outreach Foundation
Step 3:
The corn kernels are then liberally doused in spices and lemon juice to further jazz up their flavor.
Spicing it up
The trend on the streets of Pakistan is to spice up the corn. Red chilli powder, black salt and chaat masala powder spice mix are all energetically mixed with the corn kernels with the help of half a lime, sometimes even sour imli (tamarind) and kairi (raw mango) are added as a variation.
Produced by SOC Films
Project Director: Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy
Producers: Syed Ayub, Sameer Khan
Project Manager: Huma Shah
Director of Photography: Murtaza Ali
Photography: Karim Baig, Murtaza Ali
Photography Editor: Karim Baig
Additional Video & Photography: Khurram Victor
Exhibits Writer: Nazia Latif, Sameer Khan
Exhibits : Syed Ayub, Sameer Khan
Art Direction : Rahat Niazi
Associate Producer : Asad Pabani
Video Editors: Nina Zehri, Farhad Jamali
Color Grade: Sourath Behan
Additional Video Editing: Mishal Adhami
Sound Design: Sameer Khan
