Celebrating the Goan baker

Marius Fernandes

The Poderanchem Fest was held for the first time in Goa on a large scale at the Socorro church grounds to celebrate the traditional poder of Goa and his unique bread. Jointly organised by Socorro Socio Art and Cultural Association, Porvorim (SSACA) and All Goa Association of Bakers, the event commenced with a mass at 4.30 pm in the Our Lady of Succour Church, Socorro for all Goan bakers followed by a parade of bakers and villagers in fancy outfits lead by a live traditional brass band. One of the bakers - Gill Gomes dressed as St Honores, the patron saint of bakers. 

The focus of the celebration was to showcase the unique bread that Goa has and also the food that is eaten with this bread. With 12 humteos (huts) with home-made dishes like the famous choris-pao (Goan sausages with bread), sorpotel-poie, katre-roast meat, kankna tea, chicken rolls, bhaji pao, orsande bhaji pao etc, the celebration was ripe with flavour. One week before the festival, Dalima Institue of Bakery and Catering held a decorative bread workshop with 12 students from around the area. Their bread was also on display in the shape of crabs, a cross, decorative hats, crocodiles, etc. 

In another first, to promote the bakery business in the state, Gautam Umesh Fatarpekar, director of Sword Leo Systems Pv Ltd designed a website www.poder.in to keep up with the cyber age and this was launched at the event. The website will have information on local bread, history of bakeries, job vacancies, workshops, government schemes etc.

The main idea behind such an event was to get all the stakeholders in the bakery business under one roof to ideate, share ideas and fresh methods of baking and to discuss various issues such as the labour problem. 

No Goan festival is complete without music and enjoyment. The SSACA had 13 dance troupes performing through the evening. Additionally, there was a live band belting out tunes in Konkani. Local award winning tiatrist, Vera Pereira composed a theme song for the event – Poderanchem fest. The Vaddem youth group performed a meaningful mime act while the Salvador do Mundo dance troupe performed one of  Goa’s oldest dances – The GOFF dance. Ana Rosa Sequeira has been a veteran baker in Socorro and she was felicitated by Agapita Menezes, president of the All Goa Association of Bakers, with a shawl and memento for successfully running a thriving business. 

Fr Santana Carvalho, SSACA founding member and Parish Priest of Socorro church praised the baker fraternity for their hard work and for also being an ‘alarm clock’ for Goans. Goa is perhaps one place on earth where an alarm clock is not needed as the poders come before the birds can start chirping with their signature horn. 

Many restaurants today are dependent on the bread supplied by the poders. Goans do not generally consume roti or chappati with their food. Bread is an integral part of Goan diet. Most markets have a dedicated area for bakers to sit with the various types of bread that they make to sell on a first come first serve basis. 

Renowned Goan cartoonist Alexyz was present at the festival and had a stall with mugs, ceramic plates, t-shirts etc dedicated to the Goan poder. Hindi actress of yesteryear, Kimmy Shorey, local MLA Rohan Khaunte, Goan film and stage star Meenakshi Martins, Ex-Kala Academy Secretary Dr Pandurang Phaldesai and titatrist and baker Bond Braganza were all present at the event. 

A unique feature about the SSACA is that they never have a chief guest, sponsors, alcohol, prizes of competition at their events. They recycle all the bamboo, flags, buntings, decorations etc and make use of them at another event. 

(The author is a cultural activist and a member of the SSACA)