THE GOAN BAKER (PODER)

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Early in the morning at around 6o'clock I wake up by this sound Ponku Ponku.. .It is the sound of no bell nor vehicle,it is the sound of the honking of the horn made by the neighbourhood baker (Poder) announcing his arrival in the village on his bicycle. The poder delivers variety of freshly baked, hot breads like the paõ (soft bread) undo (crispy bread) poie (whole wheat bread) and not to forget the kakon(bangle shaped crispy bread)at our doorsteps 2 times a day (morning and evening). All this has become like a part of my life,without listening  the honking of the poders horn I don't get up in the morning.


Bread making is one of the traditional business of Goa. It is an art, legacy which was granted by the Portuguese to the Goan people. Since then it is been carried on for centuries. Bread making is not just a business it has become an identity of Goans. My brother who is a seafarer told me that people abroad call him and every other Goan "paõ" because we Goans are the best culinary people and ate bread 3 times a day.

But in recent years the business of bread making is in a threat because of the change in diet habbits of the people and the entry of packaged food and many other reasons. Because of loss in business the poders have closed down their furnaces(fhonn)and migrated to foreign land for better prospectives. Thus this traditional business of Goa is on the verge of extinction. So let us all act before it's too late to save our poder and paõ.



Comments

  1. Viven Saldanha13 January 2019 at 12:09

    Nice 1 u hv more knowledge abt bakers keep it up ������������

    ReplyDelete

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