India: region with bread that competes France

India: region with bread that competes France

in the Kashmir region managed by India, long before the morning prayer courtyard echoes over the neighborhoods, the Kandurs, the traditional bakers of Srinagar, fueled their tandoor furnaces.

Kashmir - a paradise of beauty

Kashmir lies in the snow -covered Himalayas, on the northern edge of India. This controversial region between India and Pakistan is a real paradise of snow -covered glaciers, ice -blue lakes, mounted mountains lined with firs and bubbling, tearing rivers. Their beauty is so famous that the Mogul emperor Jehangir once noticed: "If there is a paradise on earth, it is here.".

The culture of bread

The rich bread culture of Kashmir is a mosaic from the history of the Silk Road, an old trade route that connected Europe, the Middle East and Asia. While Reis is the staple in Kashmir's households, the bread drives the local community and economy. Local bakeries produce about 10 different types of bread every day, each with their own special ritual and the best time for consumption.

With so much traditional knowledge that has been passed on for generations, Kashmir's bread culture could be considered for the list of the UNESCO intangible cultural heritage and possibly compete with the French boulanger tradition. But why is this culinary heir hardly mentioned?

a cinematic homage

Mehvish Altaf Rather, a documentary filmmaker based in Kashmir, tried to change this when she made her film "Kandurwan: Baking History" in 2019. The film gives insights into life in the valley in which the Kandurwan are a central component.

"I wanted to capture the daily life of the Kashmiris and talk about a topic that everyone can identify with: to eat love," she says. Their concern was to expand the one -sided story about violence and politics from Kashmir by illuminating another aspect of local culture.

The role of Kandurs

Kandurs traditionally bake different types of bread in tandoor furnaces made of clay. This baking tradition is comparable to those found in Central Asia. The term "tandoor" comes from the Persian word "Tanur", which means oven. Despite its ancient roots, the technique of snacking has remained largely unchanged and deeply rooted in Kashmirische Kultur.

On the way back from the mosque, the locals freshly baked Girdas get themselves crispy and soft on the outside, as well as thin, crispy lavasas for the whole family. While you are waiting for the sellers to wrap their warm breads from yesterday's newspaper, the local news, essential information and often also gossip.

food as a connection

"These Kandurs are masters in getting information out of you! The conversation begins with a harmless" Did you hear the news? "And after a few raised eyebrows, the customer tells the juicy news," says food author Marryam H. Reshii, who lives between Srinagar and Neu-Delhi.

"Sometimes when my husband needs more than 30 minutes for a task that usually only takes five minutes, I know that he is keeping up to date in Kandurwan about the latest news."

The variety of bread

The bread culture of Kashmir is unique. In contrast to many regions of India, in which breads are baked in pans or stoves, most breads in Kashmir are prepared in an underground tandurwan. In addition to Girda and Lavasa, the Croissant -like Katlam, Kulcha, the Bagel -like, with sesame, the Tschowor, the festive sheer paint, is also part of the Kashmirische Brotrepertoire, the leafy Bakarkhani and Roth.

"There are very complex rituals about what you should eat with which bread and at what time of day. But that is not documented, and nobody explains it. You just have to watch it," explains Reshii.

Culinary traditions reinterpreted

For many, the meal assignment to the bread is an art in their own art. At dawn, Girda and Lavasa are consumed with Noon Chai, a hearty tea with milk, butter and salt. In the afternoon, for example, you could eat a Tschovor, which is often presented to foreigners as an equivalent to the bagel.

Culinary delicacies such as Bakarkhani, which is often served on special occasions, are large breads that often reach up to 36 inches, which harmonize well with lamb dishes such as Rogan Josh. Roth, sweet and airy, is a popular banquet and is very popular with both Hindus and Muslims in the country.

"Every Kashmiri has their favorite bread and is loyal to their own family is loyal," says Jasleen Marwah, the chief founder of Folk, a café for regional Indian cuisine in Mumbai.

The challenge of tradition

Marwah, whose father comes from Kashmir, describes the summer as the time for her childhood memories of Kashmir and the warm, airy girda.

"The morning order of our family girda was seven. I always bought eight so that I could have a freshly baked meal on the way home from Kandurwan," says Marwah. As she enjoyed Kashmir's food as a child, she only recognized as a professional cook how important this culinary legacy actually is.