AAKAR 2022

AAKAR 2022 will be held during August 1214, 2022 in hall 2-3-4-5 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.

India Bakery Expo (IBE)

The 5th edition of India Bakery Expo (IBE) has been scheduled during September 9-11, 2022 at Chennai Trade Centre. IBE will be purely a B2B Trade Fair.

Ragi Is Right For Bakeries

Ragi or finger millet is native to the Ethiopian and Ugandan highlands. It arrived in India around 2000 BC. Ragi is a drought tolerant crop, though a moderate rainfall is conducive to its cultivation. The heat tolerance level of finger millet is also impressive. In India, Ragi is generally grown in the Himalayan region.

Monsoon, The Season for Te(a)totaler

Step aside, Coffee and Coca Cola, Tea is the most popular beverage in the world. With the rains lashing down on despondent people travelling to their offices, a refreshing cup of tea is ideal for overcoming cold and tiredness. Tea, today, is not just black or green but is available in various forms which help you maintain your health. Ashok Malkani examines the beneficial effects of different varieties of this nectar and how each variety can be prepared to give you an enhanced exquisite experience.

Positive by Instinct to Face Challenges!

Chef Abhinav Singh, Pastry Chef, Hyatt Regency Dehradun

Starting a Bakery

Running a bakery is a creative and challenging business, whether be it a stand-alone bakery, a retail bakery chain, or industrial bakery operations for that matter. However, in this feature we are concentrating on the points to be considered for the running of a start-up stand-alone bakery business.

Naturally Sweet

For quite some years, sugar has been blamed for the many health related problems that affect our lives and lifestyles.

Whipping up the Cream

Whipped cream is used as an integral ingredient in a number of a bakery items. Its main function is to whip up the products and endow them an enticing look. Whipped cream fabricates and stabilizes the cake to frost and acts as an accompaniment for icing.

Promising Growth

Mention chocolates and everyone, irrespective of their age, can start drooling. Many chocolate and other confectionery makers say that adult consumption of chocolates and candies is growing at the fastest pace in India, major corporate companies are launching new products and brands of chocolates which target the grown-ups.

Delightful Dairy Desserts

Mark Twain, after his visit to the Orient, declared: "Although there are 365 days in a year, India has 366 festivals." And each of these festivals, one may add, is celebrated with dairy desserts galore! Indians have a sweet tooth. And who can blame them? The delicious variety available is extremely difficult to resist. The delectable desserts, comprising mostly of dairy products, are tempting treats that are irresistible. The demand for these desserts has increased over the years. Ashok Malkani finds that packaged sweets have become more popular since the outbreak of Covid-19 and the pandemic.

Desserts That Will Make You Exclaim Go ManGo!

It is summer, the time when the king of fruits – Mango – makes its appearance and casts a magical spell on the entire populace, be they young or old. From children to senior citizens one finds everyone enjoying mangoes not only in its original format but also as desserts. Bakeries and F&B outlets vie with each other to create magical conceptions that will not only please the eye but also the taste buds. Ashok Malkani looks at the magical charm that mango desserts have not only in India but all around the globe. The list of desserts is endless and what is more – mangoes also have health benefits.

Probable Occupational Hazards in Bakery

Baking bread can become a dangerous career. The late and great cookery writer Margaret Costa cautioned that "Beware of making that first loaf." Bakers have to pay heed to the dangers prevalent in the small and as well as large bakeries, while working in them.

ITALMOPA Launch “Pure Flour from Europe” Campaign

ITALMOPA - the Italian Association of Millers has launched a strategic initiative to promote exports of soft wheat flour into India called “Pure Flour from Europe”. The campaign aim is to raise awareness of the versatility, high-quality, unadulterated and safe flour.

NRAI's First Cloud Kitchen Convention

The National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI)'s Mumbai Chapter held India's biggest Cloud Kitchen Convention powered by PetPooja. Established in the year 1982, NRAI is the voice of the Indian Restaurant Industry that has successfully provided opportunities to educate various hospitality chains on the avenues of technology, marketing, operations and more by keeping up with the trends.

Embellishing Breakfast Menu

Muffins come in an almost endless variety of flavours. Usually they are available in the sweet form but they are also available in the savoury form. They should have a soft texture, less moisture and be like a nicely raised cake.

Has the snacking segment transformed? How about its future?

The answer to the first question is a resounding—YES! Snacking, as a practice and sector, has transformed completely since the first mention of the virus. Health was a priority pre-pandemic, but being locked at home which continuing to maximise work output has put immense strain on us all. The result’s that we’ve fallen back on old habits that provide comfort. Hence, our snacking behaviours have been invariably affected.

Cookie is Cocky ...in the Indian market

Demand for healthy bakery products, particularly cookies, is increasing in India due to active lifestyle of consumers' looking for convenient eating options. Millennials, who form a major percentage of the working population in India, are a driving force behind the consumer trends today. As far as bakery products are concerned, they desire for healthy products with high nutritional values. Cookies which are not only healthy and nutritious but can also be consumed as snacks are becoming popular globally. Ashok Malkani takes a kaleidoscopic look at all aspects of cookies and the rising market for these scrumptious tidbits.

Contamination of Eggs in India

Generally speaking, most poultry farms in India follow poor rearing practices. There is every likelihood that many of them could be using contaminated feeds or using feed ingredients without any knowledge of their nutritive content which can eventually negatively influence the quality of egg production.

Comprehending Butter

Butter has always fascinated all for its malleability and richness as also the way it transforms a dish, making it exotic from the simple. Most of us at home use plain salted or sometimes unsalted butter for baking purposes, but Chefs have access to all kinds of magical options when it comes to butter.

Chocolate: In the Hands of Pastry Chef

There are many ways to use chocolate as decoration but a normal dark or white chocolate with a liquid texture for an easier manipulation is used in this type of work, as it does not require any special taste. For a chocolate show piece I personally use a normal 55% cocoa for the moulding and the body of my piece.

Heeding To Safety Measures In Bakery

The bakery business has great potential for creativity but it requires sustained hard work and knowledge of the industry to reach success.

Creative and Passionate about Bakery!

Chef Shaikh Shafique with an enriching experience of over a decade has worked across various brands and has carved a niche for himself in this industry as a game changer.

Cream Cheese

Cream cheese occupies a relatively small but important place among the many varieties of cheeses, in India, specially in bakery segment.

Crossing over Croissants

Croissant fits the bill on any given day as a snack or as a breakfast item.

Getting Over Crisis

The sudden lockdowns during the pandemic, resulting in closure of operations and lack of revenue have affected many bakery business owners into dire situations. Some of them have been forced to take hasty decisions which have had long term impact on their business. It has to be realized that recovery from the current pandemic situation is going to be slow and painful. Tough times, prevalent at the moment, demand the bakers to look beyond regular situations and deal with difficult questions that need to be answered, to thrive. For survival and navigating through the crisis successfully bakers will need to understand the present situation and the impact the pandemic will have on their future business. They have to plan to tackle the situation as time progresses. Ashok Malkani tries to gauge the effects of the and how the bakers have to plan to deal with the problems as and when they arise.

Empowerment of Women in Bakery Industry - A Piece of Cake

The intrepid women have proved their mettle in almost all arenas. They have resolutely proved themselves as enterprising entrepreneurs in all industries, including the bakery segment of the food & beverage industry. From home bakers to capable industrialists, they have climbed the ladder of success and are speedily securing opportunities in what was once a male dominated segment – bakery business. The rise in female bakers in India is a testimony of the fact that they have the potential to successfully handle career as well as home by successfully harnessing technology and social media to improve their business. With more females entering the bakery industry, the sector is rapidly moving towards gender equality. Ashok Malkani, to commemorate the International Women’s Day, on March 8, views the progress and the success of the lady bakers in their endeavour to move from home baking to becoming owners of commercial conglomerates.

Flavours and Colours

While colours work by increasing the visual appeal of the bakery products, flavours help bakers to develop a unique taste of the products

Pure Flour from Europe

Good flour is the basis of good dough (both sweet and savoury). Good flour is indispensable for your baking and cooking.

Spread with Margarine

It's low cost and health value makes margarine a bakers delight. It is widely used in bakeries in making cookies, pastry dough, piecrust and main course dishes. Margarine can be used in breakfast, appetizers, side dishes, main entrees and desserts.

Bakery Trends For 2022

As we step into the New Year and communities and supply chains reopen, though still fragile, there are several changes that one is likely to see in the near future in the bakery industry. But, one may add, that though many consumers are open to something new, after nearly two years of limited options and mobility, they don’t want to be rushed into rash decisions as far as eating habits are concerned. The pandemic has increased the awareness of healthy food. Bakeries have adopted changes to cater to the demands of the consumers – and are likely to continue transforming in the New Year. Ashok Malkani tries to present a broad perspective of likely trends for 2022 and beyond.