PODER, THE TRADITIONAL BREAD MAKER OF GOA

Elsewhere in the world people wake up in mornings because of the milkman, if not then may be due to newspaper delivery boy, okay if not both, then definitely by an alarm clock. But not people of Goa! Ask people of Goa, you will be surprised to know how they wake up to poder’s (bread maker) call early in the mornings!

Poder, the traditional bread maker of Goa follow the same traditional art of making bread that has been practiced since last 4 centuries. Early mornings they set off in their cycles to sell pao or the pav as we all know it in different parts of India. Other states have brought out different variations of this pav like pav-bhaji, vada-pav. Whatever the form may be, they are no doubt everybody’s favorite!

bread-fresh-from-oven
Poder, the Traditional Bread Maker of Goa
During my several tours of Goa I have bumped into these poders, particularly in old parts of Goa, where life moves at a slower pace. Watch out for this week’s Faces of India series where I will be featuring a Poder with his cycle. Faces of India – 285

I visited one of the baker’s factory in Aldona villgae of Goa, which is actually a part of his house. He was kind enough to tour us around his little factory. What I saw amazed me, this baker was still following the traditional method of baking breads.

poder-machine-for-kneading-the-dough
Kakon from Goa
Making of Pao
Only the initial step of kneading the dough is mechanised. Shaping them and placing them on trays is done with hands. Yes, they are shaped with bare hands. And over the years the hands have become so experienced in this job that they haven’t tried out a modern approach. Look at the ovens, they are the traditional wood fired ovens.  Dough in trays is passed in to a hollow space, a niche on the wall. It is placed in to the room which acts as oven. As they rise and turn golden brown the tray is pulled out and emptied into a huge basket.

dough-in-to-oven
dough-in-oven
Bread being baked the traditional way in Goa.

He gave me a bun, too hot to handle, I placed it on a sheet of paper. I was eager to have it hot, digging fingers into it was next to impossible so I waited. Finally I had it warm and it tasted so different from the ones we get in shop. Warm, crunchy crust and soft flesh inside, it tasted too good. I came out of this little factory happy with the bread but still wondering how long they can sustain this traditional method of baking!

It seemed to me as if time has stood still within these walls. Can they withstand the modern market of breads? Goa is going all out to preserve and celebrate this traditional method.

Is his business doing well? I asked. “”I am satisfied” was his reply, “but the young boys don’t like it too long here” he added. This method has been coming down from generations and he hasn’t thought of other methods yet.

Bread Basket
Pao, Bread from Goa