Bread
forms an important constituent of our food intake today. Large variants of
breads greet us in the markets and we choose our pick depending upon our tastes
and health. People of all ages patronise the bread. Bread is a staple food prepared from dough of flour and water, usually by baking. There
are many combinations and proportions of types of flour and other ingredients,
and also of different traditional recipes and modes of preparation of bread. As
a result, there are wide varieties of types, shapes, sizes, and textures of
breads in various regions of the World.
Good old days of the yore, the shops
were few in our town. Bread was considered to be a luxury and as children we
used to wait for Sunday breakfast to enjoy our bread. Rest of the days, it was Chapatti (or Roti) in all 03 staple
meals and with different combinations of vegetables, pickles and pulses. All 03
meals were simple to make and easy to digest. The early morning breakfast was
made out of left over Chapattis of the night. The old chapattis were converted
into a hand meshed mixture of Desi Ghee
(Clarified Butter) and Sugar and was popularly known as Churma. High in calories, Churma along with a glass of milk would
give adequate sucrose shot to the brain and as students we were absolutely live
and chirpy in the school. The school break Tiffin box would contain Paranthas (Parantha is an
amalgamation of the words parat and atta which literally means layers
of cooked dough) with seasonal pickle. All classmates
would sit down together and savour the mid day meal. This togetherness built up
bonhomie and long lasting friendships. The dinner was again a simple affair
around the hearth where warm Chappattis
would be affectionately served by the lady of the house.
Sundays would usually be the days when
we were given a chance to indulge in the modern breads. Our city, Rohtak, had
badminton clubs where fathers and sons would play games together. The clubs
would start functioning from 5 am onwards and some amazing contests would take
place. As children, we also got chance to play with our elders and this led us
to pick the threads of the game with great ease. By Class 8th we
were matching our sporting skills with our elders and there were days when we
clinched game and match from them. After the games, the entire club of 10-14
people would sit down on the roadside shop (Om’s Tea Stall or popularly known
as OTS) to enjoy a well deserved bread sandwich and tea/juices. We would
intently listen to the animated discussions of our elders and picked many a
threads about the World happenings from those discussions and debates.
Soon came the time, when all my
classmates were ready to move to the professional institutes. Circa 1988, we
moved to our respective institutes for further career oriented courses. I along
with 03 of my classmates joined the National Defence Academy (NDA) at Pune. I
was the last one to leave for the Course and my mother had packed the food for
the entire journey to Pune. The Churma
tasted exotic as I finished the last of the packed items as the train moved
into Pune Railway Station. The first meal at the NDA was a lunch. The chapattis were different in taste and
profile than the home made ones. Soon the routine of the Academy took its count
and each meal started becoming prized.
This was the time; the bread emerged
as the most important constituent of life. Time was always at premium and in
the minimum possible time, the Cadets had to fill their ever churning stomachs
to the full to survive the day. Soon, I got accustomed to finishing my power
breakfast ranging from a few seconds to a treasured 10 minutes breakfast. The
magnificent dining hall of the NDA could accommodate almost 2000 cadets. The
first day at the dining hall, I was mesmerised by its sheer size and clockwork
precision in which the food operations were being handled by a calm kitchen and
services staff. It was clockwork precision at work as 1800+ cadets would move
in and out to have their meals in the Academy. The management of bread became a
grand affair for the junior cadets. As we were being taught the nuances of
military training, I saw a neat packing of sandwiches going into handkerchiefs
or paper napkins. Time was always at premium and so were resources such as
butter and jam. The bread was never an issue and was available in plenty. 25
grams of butter and 50 grams of jam could be used to make 5 double sandwiches
to satiate our hunger. The packed sandwiches would be carried to classes and
shared with mates who would then grow to become Brothers-in Arms and live with
the bond forever. These sandwiches packed in various forms and methods tasted
out of this world and their value can never be re-paid to the generous soul who
brought them hidden in his pocket of starched uniform. Many a days of tough
tone could be successfully encountered through charging of the blood’s sugar
levels by these bread sandwiches.
The dinner at the NDA was a
combination of bread and Cow Peas curry (Lobia).
Hungry and raring to charge our energy levels to meet the further unknown
challenges, we would wallop bread after bread pieces with the curry. The filled
stomach can become empty any minute, but who was worried at that stage? Running
against time, we could easily finish our meals in record time and that too with
exquisite table manners. This was a grand part of the Military training. As the
life moved on into the Navy, the bread moved with us as an important part of
our life. Life onboard training base mess, sailing ships and then Submarines
had bread in all its meals. The quantity of butter and jam grew as life moved
on from a Cadet to a young Officer. The importance of each meal remained steady
with the growth of life. Not a morsel was wasted as the value of food remained
a high priority.
Today, breads of various varieties are
consumed by us. We have encountered new combinations and formations of breads.
The sides of the breads taste better and the fresh bread boasts of many
ingredients which are marketed as elixirs for humans. The traditional Churma, parantha and chappattis have steadily disappeared from the dining tables and
tiffin boxes of school going children and adults alike. Canteen and corporate
lunches have now migrated to various hues, tastes and styles. The pint liquids
have been added on as stress busters. Food joints near schools and colleges see
footfalls from young generation and the food consumption patterns have seen a
big change. New market trends are firmly in saddle now where food industry is
related to fitness and other ancillary products including medicines. The cycle
of stress and strains coupled with complex food and sedentary habits castes its
vicious gaze on every human being. Many fall victim to the unprecedented
attacks as we sit more than we walk/stand.
Now is the time to move, keep fit and
make those bread crumbs precious. The pattern is clear and precise for each one
of us. The predictions are bleak as medications are catching up with humans at
an early age than before. Shall we look back and visit the good old days
again-keep the food simple, walk a mile longer each day and sweat out those
extra calories to meet the complex challenges of our lives. The cost of life’s operations
needs a merited look, isn’t it folks?
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