Would you have an opinion on where one could buy the best (tastiest, most
innovative) bread in Goa? It always seems odd that the 'paowallas' (no
offense meant) of South Asia have largely got stuck with recipies that are
500 or so years old.
While poe, pao, undde, katre (the wing-like bread)
and the (ring-like) kankon are tasty, one could do
with a bit of variety. Or couldn't we?
Europe has an amazing variety of bread (not 'breads', as we would call it
in Konklish). Other parts of the globe, including India outside of Goa,
have their wealth of traditional bread-forms.
Some weeks ago, the social activist and secular campaigner Datta Naik,
writing and voicing concern about the lack of entrepreneurship talent
among the Goan Christian (in Goa), pointed out that the innovative and
better-off bakeries tend to be Hindu-owned, even though bread-making isn't
a traditionally Hindu field in Goa. For instance, I like Cafe Central's
onion-bread and find their garlic-bread both tasty and innovative.
Admittedly, only recently one discovered that St Anthony's at Baga has a
good counter with varied types of bread. The English-labelled bread
suggests it's aimed at the Euro tourist. Whatever the inspiration, it's
nice to try out some after a swim at the Baga beach; even if researchers
tell us that the water quality at Goa's beaches is taking a nosedive.
Some months, or years, ago, Panjim saw a new outlet in the form of Hot
Breads. If one recalls right, it was an India-settled Frenchman, based in
Chennai or Pondicherry, who was cashing in on our unimaginative approach
towards bread-making. And why not!
This brings me to the point: what would it take to infuse some technology
(and the apt recipies) to give Goa's traditional breadmaking skills a
boost? I just ran into http://breadnet.net/ in cyberspace, which calls
itself "the free Internet bread recipies archive".
Earlier this evening, I happened to mention the possibility of
Internet-based bread recipes to the young lady who runs the
'front-end' of her family business at the Parra junction. This is a place
incidentally where I stop to buy patties (non-veg snacks seem to be
vanishing off the market, except in carnivore Salcete!) and samosas,
which are both well-made and decently priced.
If anyone has any ideas, do send them across. -FN
_
_/ \Frederick Noronha * Freelance Journalist * Goa
\ __\/\ India T +91.832.2409490 M +919822 122436
| | | | \ http://fn.swiki.net http://goabooks.swiki.net
|__| |___| / http://www.bytesforall.net http://www.bytesforall.org
\/ -
