BENGALURU: From festive treats to bowl meals, India’s love affair with food continued to blossom this year. With record-breaking orders for certain dishes (on Swiggy), Indian foodies have declared their very own National Food Days. Swiggy is unveiling the country’s ever-evolving gastronomical preferences this year through its third annual order analysis report- StatEATistics 2018.
Here’s a peak into what the country has been ordering in in 2018. While there are some obvious similarities between the cities, there are also some striking differences! (Swiggy’s order analysis is based on millions of orders Swiggy received on its platform as the largest food delivery platform in the country. The analysis is for the period between Dec 2017- Nov 2018).
What India ordered in 2018
Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Chennai were in the pink of health this year.
Did you know that more and more people in India are taking conscious efforts towards mindful eating? This includes ordering-in planned, healthy and single-serve meals along with embracing eco-friendly packaging options. Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Chennai are the top three cities when it comes to ordering the healthiest food online.
Juices like watermelon, mosambi, pineapple and orange are preferred choices for healthy items across India. Not surprisingly, on weekdays, Indians watched their calorie intake by ordering more healthy food compared to weekends. Fruit juices were consumed five times more than aerated drinks.
Indians plan their meals based on hunger pangs
Bengaluru and Hyderabad along with Kolkata were the best planners when it comes to their meals. The cities ordered their meals up to 36 hours in advance using Swiggy Scheduled. Top pre-ordered dishes across the country included Chicken Biryani, Masala Dosa and Paneer Butter Masala. South Indian meals and mini-meals are some of the top items that Indians eat regularly and hence, are planning in advance.
National Food Days
Food lovers declared their own national food days for 2018 by ordering record-breaking numbers of their favourites on these days.
l National Biryani Day 2018- October 28
l National Sweet Craving Day 2018- November 18 (saw highest orders of cupcakes & ice-cream)
l National Pizza Day 2018- October 19
l National Dosa Day 2018 - November 23
l National Doughnut Day 2018- November 25
Biryani, the ultimate comfort food of nation
There was a whopping 681 per cent increase in biryani orders (on Swiggy) this year. Third year in a row, India continues its love affair with Chicken Biryani. The delectable dish remains the most ordered food item all round the year.