Limiting oneself to just 50 of the greatest Indian snacks is a feat in itself. Add to it rich, colorfully detailed photos of individual snacks direct from the streets of various cities across India, and you have this substantially sized hardcover book good enough for the coffee table or kitchen collection.

Actual photos taken around Bombay, Delhi, Amritsar and Varanasi, show readers just how ingrained street vendors are in the Indian palette. And while the selections truly are some of the best snacks, many of which I have sampled, a broad representation from all corners of the country are missing.

DIY recipes are included for the most passionate to attempt in recreating at home. But, as any lover of street food will attest to, part of the joy in handing over your cash in exchange for a freshly steamed momo or fried samosa, is the experience of eating with others in the open as the world passes.

First time travelers will enjoy comparing their notes while learning a bit more about the food represented in the book. Locals and repeat tourists will read the book as a trip down memory lane; Memories of places where you drank the best cup of chai, or encountered a night of restless pain at the hands of tainted food just a few hours earlier. Either way, it left me hungry and eager to return to the streets.