Recently there was a report in newspaper about food processing industry. According to it , India has an annual turnover of over Rs 50,000/- crores in this industry. Out of this Pune region alone contributes to over Rs 10,000/- crores. Yet it is ironical that Maharashtrian food or delicacies are hardly available elsewhere in the country. That throws open a vast untapped market for budding entrepreneurs.
AAPULKI, meaning belongingness ,was an e-set upset up for Marathi delicacies at Delhi. It very often received messages saying “Is it the office of Chitale Bandhu’ or Is it Chitale Sweets? Is it the shop of Chitale Bandhu Mithaiwale? They had to be politely told, there is an element of similarity in family name and as well as the profession/business activity yet two are entirely different entities in form of nature of operation as well as geographic.
CHITALE BANDHU, KAKA HALWAI in Pune or be it Chandu Halwai from Mumbai or K.C.Das from Kolkata and not to forget Nathu Sweets, Ghantewala from Delhi. These all are well established names in sweets and savouries. Every nook and corner in our cities have people churning out yummy sweets and savouries. All of whom are commonly referred as HALWAI. Although a part of gourmet industry word, HALWAI is extensively misunderstood even by the professional in the trade.
The origin of the word HALWAI can be traced to Marathi word HALAVNE, meaning Shifting. Majority of Indian sweets and savouries extensively involve stirring process during major part of preparation or in the final lap. Give a close look to the way Shankaerpale (Shakarpara), Karanjee (Gujia) or the Gajar (Carrot) Halwa and many more are made. These products just cannot be prepared by leaving them on fire i.e. exposure to heat. They have to be kept in motion either circulatory or oscillatory. A close look in sweets and savouries in Western Cookery will reveal that constant fiddling has to be avoided and stirring is negligible. The products require steady exposure to heat or cold for setting as the case may be. These are produced by Specialist Pattisiers (Baker).
Halwai or Pattisier both actually bring the ingredients together, process them, expose them to various temperatures and thus churn out yummy delicacies. They too are true scientists and no mad people with weird thinking. Michael Ruhlmen author of “Soul of a Chef” and other books on chef’s psychology has said, “Just because you can do something does not mean you have to do it, do it, if it’s a pleasure to taste”.
Food has never been more global than it has become now, just take the example of growth and development of Chinese Food in India or the spread of Punjabi Food or South Indian Dishes across the country and abroad. Thus ensuring a well heeled and more aware gastronome. Ruhlman further says no matter how you do it , cooking comes down to fundamentals. Modern science provides room for more tricks, its no replacement for traditional techniques. Pino Malleo, another experimental chef from Boston agrees, ”It’s all about flavour, if people don’t say, Wow, this is bloody delicious, then all this is unnecessary”. He further says, “If science can make my cuisine better, then I’ll use it. I have opened my doors to anything”. That indeed is in spirit of true scientist following principles of observation, classification, analysis, assimilation and finally production.
Now days with customers willing to experiment with different tastes, Halwai’s too can come out of traditional mindset and play with chemistry of ingredients to churn out exotic new foods. “Today’s bold experiment is tomorrow’s classic dish”, says Peter Gordon-pioneer in Fusion Food in U.K. Fusion food is all about imagination and experimentation. With melting taste from here and fascinating flavour from there, the Halwai can do wonders.
Globally there is fast emerging trend of an increasing emphasis on regional cuisine juxtaposed with an increasingly Asian Influence on Western cookery. Similarly, there is tremendous scope for experimentation in Maharashtrian food. A chaklee, which in itself has innumerable permutations and combination, can be given chilly and garlic flavour from Northern India. Shankarpale (salted) can be infused with tomato and pepper. The list can be endless.
So that is what Halwai is truly and distinctly has relation to Molecular Gastronomy - a branch initiated by Spanish Chef Ferran Adria.
If done with right attitude the vistas for career and profession as a HALWAI can stretch to sky.