Balvinder Singh: Punjabi Trucker turned Punjabi Dhaba Owner
May 30, 2023
Commercial truck drivers have poor health outcomes when compared to the general public. They have a 50% higher risk of developing diabetes and an 87% higher risk of developing hypertension or prehypertension, a serious heart condition. As immigrants from the Indian state of Punjab increasingly join the ranks of truckers in America, "dhabas" – small roadside restaurants ubiquitous in India and Pakistan – have started popping up along major east-to-west interstate highway Route I-40. Every 100-200 miles you will now find a Punjabi dhaba serving heart-healthy meals to hungry truckers.
In Bakersfield, California, Lidia spends time with Balvinder Singh Saini, who operates one of these truck stop restaurants with his wife, Mansi Tiwari, and a small staff. Saini, 44, was once a truck driver himself, but health problems forced him to find another way to support his family. "It is not just the body of the trucker, it is the spirit that gets nourished at these rustic eateries," Saini says.
Lidia at the Punjabi Dhaba
After leaving Singh's truck-stop restaurant, Lidia meets up with Pawan Gill, who guides Lidia around some of the Punjab agricultural families in Bakersfield, CA. First, Lidia visit’s Pawan’s uncle’s farm just north of Bakersfield. The brothers came to the United States after one of them came to California for University. They originally worked together on a farm, but as they grew, some purchased their own smaller farms and some of them moved into other professions.
Lidia then tours Custom Almonds packaging plant, run by the Toor family. Their father created a successful farm, and now his son Arun and son-in-law Bikram have expanded the family business into packaging the products the almonds they grow.
