Exploring Consumer Perceptions and Value Addition in Street Cuisine: A Case of Kalai Ruti

Abstract

Aims: The study focused on Kalai Ruti, a popular street food made from black gram in Chapai Nawabganj, Bangladesh. It is aimed to examine the potential for enhancing the dish’s value and to assess consumer attitudes towards street food in that region. Study Design: This study adopted quantitative approach where purposive sampling technique was used to select the sample size. Face-to-face interviews were performed with a structured questionnaire facilitated in-depth interactions with the respondent to reach the goal. Methodology: The research involved direct surveys with 100 Kalai Ruti customers and 30 local vendors. It is employed multiple linear regression and descriptive statistics to analyze data. This included examining the value addition from incorporating various meats and vegetables typical in Bangladeshi cuisine of Kalai Ruti, as well as analyzing the cost and selling price of these ingredients. Results: Findings showed significant value addition from different meats: BDT 370.07 per kg for chicken, BDT 988.3 per kg for beef, BDT 386.03 per kg for duck, and BDT 38.8 per kg for eggplant. Consumer’s feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with over 76% of participants expressing favorable opinions. The analysis also revealed that the street food culture around Kalai Ruti is shaped by a blend of value addition, consumer preferences, and socio-demographic factors. It is also seen that education, family size, and income had minor effects, age, gender, occupation, and marital status significantly influenced consumer choices. Conclusion: The study offers valuable insights that can help enhance marketing strategies and support the sustainable development of the street food sector in the area. Furthermore, it is opening the gate of future research on this sector to discover the scope and expansion of Kalai Ruti’s market.