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.

By SOCH Outreach Foundation

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.

Condiments and spices are added to the cooked corn. (2020)SOCH Outreach Foundation

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.

The box is shaken to make sure the spices mix well with the corn, 2020, From the collection of: SOCH Outreach Foundation

The corn is packaged into small paper bags whose size differs based on how much you pay, 2020, From the collection of: SOCH Outreach Foundation

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Credits: Story

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

Credits: All media

The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.

SOCH Outreach Foundation

SOCH Outreach Foundation

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