Delicious Treasures of a Glorious Past

THE PODER CHRONICLES RAISED A CELEBRATORY TOAST TO THE AGEOLD GOAN BREADS PASSED ON BY THE PORTUGUESE

- NAMITA GUPTA

If you’ve taken a walk in the early morning hours on the streets of Goa or traversed any Goan bakery at dawn, then you would have surely tasted the Goan breads or Poie as the locals call it. The art of breadmaking in Goa is a legacy passed on to the Goans by the Portuguese. A nutritious alternative to the regular maida bread, as it is traditionally made with whole wheat flour. Baked traditionally in hole-in-the-wall coal or wood-fired ovens, it has been a part and parcel of the Goan staple diet for many years and continues to do so. Albeit, the art of Poi making has seen a slight decline in the recent past and that’s why The Poder Chronicles, an initiative by the Hilton Goa Resort, aims to revive this culinary culture that is cognate to Goa.

The Poder Chronicles is an ode to the Goan Poder and the traditional bread making techniques of Goa. The Poder, who carries freshly baked bread on his cycle every morning is synonymous to the start of a new day in Goa, as every morning the locals wake up to the distinctive sound of his cycle horn. The aroma of soft, freshly baked poie bread in the air, brought to their doorstep by the Poder evokes fond memories for every Goan, and Hilton Goa Resort rekindled this warm nostalgia by hosting The Poder Chronicles.