THE GOOD Desserts

FOUNDER OF PLANT-BASED PATISSERIE AN ODE TO GAIA, NAIMITA JAGASIA CHATS WITH TINA THAKRAR ABOUT CREATING DELECTABLE DESSERTS THAT ARE REDEFINING THE CONCEPT OF VEGANISM

- TINA THAKRAR

Veganism isn’t just a trend anymore, it’s a way of life for many. But going vegan or dairy-free isn’t as easy as it sounds, with the lack of palatable options to replace the flavour and consistency of pasture-derived dairy products turning many away from making the switch. But Naimita Jagasia, a young patissier from Mumbai, is making the transition easier, and she’s started with a universal favourite - desserts.

Naimita runs An Ode to Gaia, one of India’s first all-vegan patisseries. Named to honour Gaia, the goddess of the earth in Greek mythology, the studio was borne out of Naimita’s love for the planet and its bounty. For the last five years, Naimita has been churning out heavenly plant-based cakes, cheesecakes, cupcakes, macarons and cookies, often making some of her core ingredients from scratch, for her growing clientele in India and the world.

Creatively inclined and environmentally conscious from a young age, Naimita’s first career choice was fashion; something that would allow her to be hands-on and inventive. To see this through, she studied at the London College of Fashion, where she dabbled in clothing, jewellery and footwear design, besides photography and journalism. It was that same year that she also turned vegan.

“I was particularly interested in sustainable footwear and accessory design. But the UK market seemed saturated, and the Indian one wasn’t ready for such a big shift. At the same time, I moved back home and found it hard to continue being vegan because of the lack of options here. So I started making vegan desserts at home, first for myself, then for friends and family, and then for small exhibitions. Things just snowballed from there!” says Naimita, who confidently made the switch from fashion to food in 2017.