Joseph Lewis D’Silva
Portuguese first taught the locals to prepare bread in 1550. They taught the art exclusively to the families of Chardos (formerly known as Kshtriyas, and who were converted to Christianity) because they deemed them the most hygienic for the purpose.
The bread consists of flour, salt, water and toddy. The flour was to be moistened, stirred and kneaded. Toddy was used to make the dough rise. Once it rose, it was shaped into soft, square shaped Pao; Katre Pao which takes its name from scissors cutting it in square with pointed corners. Kankonn is round shaped like a bangle. Poi is preferred choice of those who are health conscious. These pieces are then placed inside the hot oven to bake. Most breads in Goa are made in traditional wood-fired ovens.
Young Goans found that there was no profit to continue the age-old family business in making only bread. According to them, the bakery business was not profitable as compared to other professions. Secondly, due to high prices of raw material, shortage of skilled workers and high salaries and shortage of fire wood was crippling the bread baking industry. Thirdly, bakers’ children were qualified and graduated in different streams. Their family status increased but their financial status remained the same.
Therefore, younger generations were not inclined to continue their traditional business; so, leaving behind their old parents, they migrated to foreign countries for jobs as the salary abroad was like heaven compared to white-collar job in their native land. Lastly, most of the old traditional bakery owners, due to age and health reasons could not continue with this back-breaking work of baking bread. With less skilled workers available, this business gradually started shrinking. Thus, in recent years, many family-run bakeries have closed or rented out their business to non-Goans.
Having learned the skill of making bread, non-Goans, from Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Kerala have now taken the main stage; as the family-run bakeries in Goa have shut down or changed hands due to rising costs and a lack of interest among the younger generation.
Bakeries leased out to non-Goans who had less skilled knowledge of traditional baking methods, the quality and flavour of bread is now lost. The toddy (sap of the coconut flower) which was used to ferment the dough was now replaced by yeast.
Nowadays, the honking of bread-man is music to many ears who wait to buy his bread. Every morning and evening the man on his bicycle, with pillion carrying a big basket, covered with plastic sheet delivers bread.
The importance of bread (pao), we have seen, can make or break governments. During the French revolution, there was shortage of food and the peasants came to beg for bread. This quote: “If there is no bread let them eat cake,” was picked and credited it to Marie-Antoinette, to spread as propaganda as a way to rouse opposition to the monarchy. It infuriated the crowd; King Louis XVI was dethroned. Both, King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette lost their heads (executed) in a guillotine.
The permanent love for bread in Goa is evident in the habits of the people, although its baking method have changed, this Goicho Pao remains fixed in our culture as seem in the demand for chorizo pao (sausage bread), cutlet pao, pav bhajji and vada pav. The ‘choris pao’ is a famous food item in Goa just as the ‘vada pav’ is in Mumbai.