Why is there no really good bread in india?

Martinji

Hello, especially to all Francaises, Deutsche und Schwiizer:-)

I have just returned from my 3rd trip to India. I did not find any decent bread. As far as I know, there are german bakeries, but their bread is a joke to us bread connoisseurs, isn't it? No offence to gb, they are great, especially the one in Rishikesh!
But the bread they make lacks the "real thing", if you know what I mean. I can make far better bread at home!
Well in Pondy I have found some stuff, but this is an exception.
So I have basically two questions;
1. Is there any good bakery for bread, not sweets or other bizarre items:-) ? Maybe in Mumbai, Delhi, Colcatta, Bangalore, Goa, Pune or elsewhere?
2. Do you think, it would suit the indian taste?

Isn't it strange, no one has started introducing something divine as bread to this country which we adore?

Thanks a lot for your help. It might result in availabilty in the near future:-)!

Nick-H

I have not yet discovered bread in Chennai that comes up to the standard of a British mass-produced granary loaf.

Nilgiris supermarket does a 'five-grain loaf' that is not disgusting, and HotBreads does a multigrain loaf that is just about edible.

Bear in mind that the staple diet of India is white rice; that all the sugar on the shelf will be refined white sugar (jaggary excepted). Wholegrain culture is not here, people don't even begin to ask about unrefined sugar. The only use of the words 'brown sugar' I ever see is what the media call heroin, so expect an odd look if you ask for it in the shops.

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manali4now

The closest thing to "good bread" is good naan baked in a tandoor.

the opoponax

Answer to your main question -- there is, it's just all in the form of chapatti, roti, naan, parantha, puri, etc. There's "no good bread" in India in exactly the same way an Indian might wonder why there's "no good bread" in France. In other words, there is, it's just in a different form from what you're used to.

Subquestion answers:

1. Whole grain western-style loaf bread is starting to catch on in more westernized metros. I had it in Pune and Kolkata while staying with well-to-do families who were returned NRI's (they do exist!) or had close NRI family members. I would guess that you can also get it in Bangalore, Mumbai, Gurgaon, etc. The folks who had this bread got it at local bakeries in parts of town where most tourists don't go. And of course neither Pune nor Kolkata are on the backpacker trail much, anyway.

2. The problem doesn't seem to be whether western-style bread suits the Indian taste, but the fact that the whole concept of "whole foods" "all-natural" etc. has not really caught on in India. Western foods and processed foods are both status symbols (and are kind of synonymous). Thus the people with the money are more interested in soft and sweet white bread that comes pre-sliced, day-glo jam, instant coffee, American cheese, etc.

PeakXV

Are you talking about Indian breads or Foreign breads? The better Indian breads can be very regional and hard to locate at times but when you do find them they are way more delicious than any european creations I've tasted.

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Martinji

Ups, some echo in the woods!
Thanks for the replies! I am talking about loafs, the kind of bread we put butter and marmelade on in the morning.
It is right that the Indians haven't yet discovered "whole grain" products and are little conscious about organic farming.
Great, so let's introduce it. They will quickly realise the difference, the taste, the flavour of the whole thing.
As mentioned, the like western stuff, which they might firstly buy cause it is a status simbol, but then they get really into the taste:-)
So 3rd question;
Who thinks, opening a bakery, for instance in Pune, is a good idea?

Nick-H

Good points. The best bread in India is Indian bread.

But it is still true that a lot of foreign-style sliced loaves are sold in supermarkets, and they are really disgusting.

the opoponax

There already is a bakery in Pune doing whole grain western style loaves.

It's just that most backpackers don't know about it, because it's not in the two-block radius where the few western tourists in Pune hang out (though Pune's German Bakery does a pretty good job and may well have this sort of thing).

There are 2 questions here. 1 being "what are the chances of getting Indians interested in high quality whole grain european breads?" and 2 being "how can we make said breads available to more tourists?"

There is a HUGE difference between those two questions. The first can be answered with the tried and true "we are like this only." The second can be answered with "talk to the owner of the nearest German Bakery."

crvlvr

have you seen how expensive bread is in the west compared to India? what you pay is what you get.. Regardless of what you want to do with bread in India, Indians will look at bread as they do today. i.e something to tide them over to a real mean of good Indian curry and they are not going to pay gourmet prices for that.

But, I don't want to rain on your parade. Anything is possible in India. There are people there who think McDonalds is gourmet food too.

edwardseco

There is no great bread outside of France. It must be some kind of law or maybe its the availability of Normandy butter. Talent, resources, and a demanding clientelle make a difference in the art of bread making. The latter is probably why the same accolades are never heard of the nearby British product. However, resources matter also as evidenced by the fact that California wine is better than French wine.

Its different in terms of vegetables because the French get theirs from a wholesale process much like the US. However, there isn't much art involved in vegetables.

These condititions are beginning to develop in India. There is at least one wine society in Delhi now. I have to remember to take a couple of good bottles next trip.

Now I am getting hungry..

the opoponax

One thing that kind of shocked me about food culture in India is that fast food is generally no cheaper than the equivalent in a nice restaurant. You can have a McAloo Tikka combo for about the same price as a good sit-down meal in one of those swish multi-cuisine 'family restaurants'.

I wonder how the eating habits of Americans would change if McDonalds started charging $20 for a burger and fries?

sssall

The taste of bread is an acquired taste. Given a choice, nearly all Indians will chose roti, naan etc. Bread has limited uses. You can't eat it with a curry. A bakery could be successful as a supplier to hotels. It'll take a long time for bread to become part of the Indian diet.

Martinji

Hotels is a good idea, jeah! If they like it along with curry, i will not raise a finger:-) But think of Pune; masses of welldoing
employees in the IT field and outsourcing companies. I met these people, I know what they fancy! And finally it depends on the way of selling it. Creating a whole setting for the breadeating to happen. You could even sell some Kuhfladen to Indians, if you
spice it up nicely and wrap in flashy stuff:-)
Kuhfladen is the item a cow produces, apart from milk and offspring:-)

the opoponax

Wow, with this attitude towards the Indian consumer, you're sure to be a huge success!

Though, on the other hand, I saw Indians everywhere collecting "Kuhfladen" and processing it to use as fuel (I think?), so maybe you're right.

Martinji

What is Coke, pepsi, chips, macD and more wonderfull american
discoveries else than "Kuhfladen"? It might sound sarcastic, but
it is fact that excellent marketing combined with a massive advertising budget does miracles! The human mind works according to some rather simple mechanisms and some people understand these, use them and sell whatever they come up with.
I actually fin it a sad phenomenon. I would love to see India with just simple bananaleaves, rice and curry, but nowadays you
see pepsi, bournevita and mars in every little shop!