An acknowledged gourmet in his friend circle, master batsman Sachin Tendulkar still relishes a spicy 'vada-pav', a Maharashtrian invention modelled on the burger.
"I and my son (Arjun) love to eat vada-pav at Shivaji Park Gymkhana (Shivaji Park is where Sachin played and trained as a budding cricketer) and there is nothing that can beat this snack, laced with 'chatni'," he told a Marathi news channel in an interview from England.
"The taste of vada-pav continues to linger in the mouth," said Sachin, flanked by cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar, while talking about his favourite dishes.
Vinay Yedekar, a childhood friend of Sachin, said: "Vada-pav is his 'weak point'. When he scored his 28th century, a party was organised, and close friend Vinod Kambli landed up with a parcel of 28 vada pavs to celebrate the occasion!"
In a recent interview in India, Sachin had talked about how hard it was, during his Shivaji Park years, to overcome the temptation to bunk a practise session and have a go at vada-pav.