Plantations, pineapple & the perfect local spin

THIS was no rigma-roll!

- RAJESH RAVI @ Kochi

Decades ago, native bakers took the classic European Swiss roll and quietly lathered it some local soul.Out went expensive creams and imported fruit preserves. In came tangy, homemade pineapple jam. The sponge remained light and airy, but the flavours turned unmistakably tropical. What began as a practical adjustment soon became a signature.

That freewheeling adaptation did not fade with time. It thrived. From glass jars on wooden shelves in old bakeries, the humble jam roll spun its way into Instagram feeds and nostalgia lists. In central Kerala - especially the plantation belt - it became more than a snack. It became a memory, wrapped in grease paper and childhood afternoons.