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By Tanushree Gupta, Founder, DANBRO
Bread is perhaps the most universal food across the globe. There might be variations but every tradition and community have their breads which they can swear by. The bakery industry across the world is going through a major transition; from healthy bakes to innovative trends, the baking ecosystem is robust and action-packed. The big brands are innovating and experimenting with new ingredients and flavours and joining the bandwagon are a wide spectrum of home bakers who are rocking the boat like never before. The Indian bakery industry too is going through a stage of transformation where it is experimenting and learning a lot from world traditions.
Also, Indian bakes are finding their way to the world market with naans and parathas being a favourite across the world. The bakery industry is primarily divided into three segments – biscuits, breads, and cake and pastries; and it constitutes the largest segment in the food processing sector. With changing taste and lifestyle, the preferences of bakes too is seeing a sea change, both in India and also abroad. The end consumer today is spoilt with choices, and they are loving it and relishing every bit of it.
Bread is perhaps the most universal food across the globe. There might be variations but every tradition and community have their breads which they can swear by. The bakery industry across the world is going through a major transition; from healthy bakes to innovative trends, the baking ecosystem is robust and action-packed. The big brands are innovating and experimenting with new ingredients and flavours and joining the bandwagon are a wide spectrum of home bakers who are rocking the boat like never before. The Indian bakery industry too is going through a stage of transformation where it is experimenting and learning a lot from world traditions.
Also, Indian bakes are finding their way to the world market with naans and parathas being a favourite across the world. The bakery industry is primarily divided into three segments – biscuits, breads, and cake and pastries; and it constitutes the largest segment in the food processing sector. With changing taste and lifestyle, the preferences of bakes too is seeing a sea change, both in India and also abroad. The end consumer today is spoilt with choices, and they are loving it and relishing every bit of it.
The timeless tradition of Indian bakes
While India has its rich baking tradition which brings to the table a wide variety of breads; from naans, roti, paratha, kulcha, thepla, dosa, appam and more. However, lately it has started letting bakes from around the world share the table with other Indian breads. Each Indian state has its own breads which is the best go-to dish for locals, and these traditions have stood the test of time. While the Indian traditional bakes are staple in most households and will be hard to nudge them out from the breakfast table, the international breads such as tortilla and French baguette do often make for fancy breakfast or dinners. Besides breads, India has a rich tradition of local biscuits which are very popular. From the nankhatai of Gujarat to the atta biscuits of north India, the Indian tea-time has many snacking options from across its many regions.
Changing lifestyle and changing tastes
With the world becoming a global village and as people have started travelling cross-countries, they are today exposed to world cuisine and many a time they pick up the taste of other baking traditions. Also with liberalization, all bakery products from one corner of the world are now available anywhere and everywhere. The Indian bakery segment too has been very kind to international bakes. Almost all bakes and breads from anywhere in the world are easily available at the Indian shelves. The french baguette or the Mexican tortilla, taco or the sourdough bread are today very much an Indian favourite as they are in their home countries. Even small innovative bakeries and home bakers are going all out to experiment with world bakes. They are taking experimentation to the next level by providing many healthy sugar-free options as per the requirements and preferences of the customers. Even the cake and pastry segment has many more flavours than ever before. Gone are the days when vanilla and chocolates ruled the shelves. Today we have exciting flavours of pumpkin,spiced latte, pistachio, lemon and blueberry, salted caramel and more. Tastes are expanding and so are the flavours.
The baking ecosystem is changing the world over. While the customers, especially the millennials are always looking for new flavours and variety, there is also a large population who are moving towards healthy alternatives. Gluten-free, sugar-free, multi-grain, millets and oats are a few of the latest varieties of bakes and cookies which are fast gaining popularity. Post-Covid trends have proved that the baking ecosystem has endless possibilities of fusion, experimentation and innovation. It is a happy space where baking traditions from across the world can come together to create something more exciting and flavourful.
