The Goan Baker - ponk ponk he comes.

Name : MELOSHA AUROLIANA GOMES.  

Class : FY BCOM - D

Roll no : C18 - 3427

THE GOAN BAKER .

Goa  is the land of scrumptious food, generous people and traditional cultures that go way back but there are areas where traditional Goan businesses and artisans still exist. Here in Goa the business industries are advancing and the infrastructure is getting better.

The traditional business of the Goans still exist because their livelihood depends on the occupations. Though the state is seeing a lot of modern changes there are a few places or a few people who are still involved in local traditional businesses. Goa - a small state amidst the other vast and sizeable states shouldn’t be underestimated at all. We definitely have very rich cultures and traditions.

Some of the traditional businesses that still exist in Goa are fishing, farming, baker, toddy tapping etc.  as  these businesses are usually passed down from generation to generation. Hence keeping the secret family recipes and traditions  alive!

One such occupation we can talk about is THE GOAN BAKER  who comes with his familiar ponk ponk horn. This business is vital for Goans in the state as it is an important part of their daily life. But sadly in the recent years the occupation is on a decline. Dropping demand for the traditional pão, rising prices, few government incentives is making it hard for the poders to get by.

   The Goan Baker or rightly known to the Goans as ‘Poder’ is someone who is awaited  everyday for his delicious and steaming hot bread. They come daily in the mornings, afternoons and the evenings with bread on their bicycles, honking their horns. The village baker is always respected and referred to with affection in Local circles.   Typically dressed in the shorts and most of the times wearing hat. He  makes the round in the bicycle which carries a basket filled with different varieties of breads like ‘Pao’, ‘undo’, ‘poli’ and ‘kakon’. It’s not only an item for breakfast, it’s often consumed for dinners as well and hence one sees ‘Poder’ making another trip around in the evenings. These ‘Poders’ are synonymous with Goan culture and tradition.

Goan baker.

 When I went to the bakery in my  village,  the owner showed me his full bakery with equipment used for baking as well as he showed how they bake the breads and also the biscuits with their magical hands and the  final outcome  which is out is just amazing to see. The people working there showcased their types of breads like Pao: which is a soft square bread. , Pokshie : a  Round shaped bread  with a slit in the middle and a crusty top. Katre pav :  same as above but with a diffrent shape , Kankonn: A hard ring usually eaten  by dipping in black tea.  and Poie:  which is a Brown bread, round shaped and hollow inside. Good for diabetic patients. 

They also told me how much hard work which goes into making all these things  and also the story behind how they learnt  baking.  They  also gave me a insight which fascinated me a lot that  the Taste, texture and flavours will definitely vary in Goa as the pão from the north will be different from the pão in the south. Every village has a bakery where in the  Goans can get their bread right from the oven or hot furnance. The owner also shared with me that the  art of bread making was first brought to us by the Portuguese, the only difference being they added local ingredients to their bread giving it a very distinct Goan flavour  by using toddy instead of yeast for the fermenting process. The art of bread making is a legacy which is granted by the Portuguese to Goa. These breads are absolute a culinary masterpiece. 

One cannot imagine Goa without ‘Poders’ who are an integral part of Goa’s tradition.. After knowing the secrets behind the goan bakery occupation being keen to know more I landed up visiting more bakeries in the  north as well as south goa by which I came to know how this goan occupation is important for their survival as they are dependent on this occupation for year and years and generations to come.