This Desi Indian Roll makes it to the list of Top 10 wraps in the world for 2025 by TasteAtlas

India’s beloved street-side hero, the Kathi Roll, has once again made the country proud, earning a spot among the Top 10 Wraps in the World for 2025, as ranked by global food and travel guide TasteAtlas. Representing Kolkata’s timeless street food culture, the kathi roll secured the sixth position on the list, standing tall alongside world favourites like Greece’s Gyros, South Korea’s Sangchu Ssam, and Mexico’s Enchiladas Suizas. TasteAtlas, known for celebrating authentic and traditional dishes from across the world, praised the kathi roll for its “perfect blend of spice, flavour, and convenience.” And it’s hard to disagree - this flaky, handheld roll is practically India’s answer to the burrito, loaded with sizzling kebabs, onions, chutney, and sometimes an egg cracked right into the paratha. The origins of the kathi roll trace back to the legendary Nizam’s restaurant in Kolkata, sometime around the 1960s. The story goes that British officers, hesitant to eat kebabs with their hands, asked for a cleaner, less messy version. The cooks, ever inventive, wrapped the skewered meat inside a paratha and unknowingly created a cultural icon. The term kathi means “stick” in Bengali, referring to the bamboo skewers that replaced the heavy iron rods previously used to grill meat over coal. What began as a practical tweak soon turned into a phenomenon. The paratha-wrapped kebab was easy to carry, comforting to eat, and endlessly adaptable - everything a great street food should be.Today, the kathi roll’s appeal stretches far beyond Kolkata. From Delhi’s Khan Chacha to Mumbai’s Ayub’s, and from late-night roll joints in Bangalore to Indian cafes abroad, this humble wrap has travelled as widely as the people who love it. Whether stuffed with chicken, mutton, paneer, or egg, it carries the same essence - warmth, spice, and pure Indian ingenuity rolled up in a bite. In the latest TasteAtlas update, Greece’s Gyros claimed the top spot, followed by South Korea’s Sangchu Ssam, Turkey’s Tantuni, Mexico’s Enchiladas Suizas, and the Carne Asada Burrito from the USA rounding off the top five. India’s Kathi Roll proudly took the sixth place, ahead of popular favourites like Mexico’s Burrito, Enchiladas, Mulita, and Enchiladas Mineras. Interestingly, the Chicken Kathi Roll also earned a separate mention in TasteAtlas’ extended Top 20 list, proof that this Indian classic isn’t confined by category or variation. Whether it’s layered with egg and tangy green chutney or served plain and spicy, it has a way of pleasing every palate. Some say the dish was invented because the British didn’t want to eat kebabs with their hands, so an ingenious person at Nizam’s restaurant rolled the meat in a paratha. Initially, kathi roll was prepared with eggs and chutney along with the meat. Typically, the cook will roll the dough on a tawa, crack an egg onto it, then add the fillings. Kathi roll is traditionally wrapped in paper and served piping hot.” That image, of a roll wrapped in paper, still steaming, eaten on the go is instantly familiar to anyone who’s lived in or loved an Indian city. It’s food that belongs to the street, not the fine-dining table; food that fuels students, commuters, and late-night wanderers alike. The kathi roll’s global recognition is not just a win for Kolkata, but for India’s street food culture at large - a reminder that flavour and innovation often begin in the most unassuming places. As the TasteAtlas list proves, a flaky paratha roll born out of improvisation has gone on to stand beside culinary heavyweights from across the world. From its smoky beginnings at Nizam’s to becoming a symbol of India’s portable, flavour-packed cuisine, the kathi roll’s journey is as layered as its filling - rich, inventive, and proudly desi. So, the next time you grab one from a street stall, take a moment to savour it, you’re not just biting into a snack, you’re tasting a piece of Indian history that’s rolled its way onto the world stage.