Will the Mumbai pav lose its hold?

A familiar part of Mumbairsquos landscapemdashthe cityrsquos traditional brick ovens and towering chimneys that have long been at the heart of its bakery culturemdashis on the brink of change With the BMC setting a deadline of July 7 for bakeries to switch to ecofriendly electric LNG or LPGfired ovens the fate of the cityrsquos beloved laadi pav baked in woodfired ovens for generations hangs in the balanceNext to the Sardar Pav Bhaji in Tardeo sits the renowned Shahpur bakery a hidden gem known for its irresistibly fresh pav and perfectly crisp brun Local women would craft delicate nankhatais at home and bring them here to be bakedmdashinfusing the air with tradition community and timehonoured craftsmanship PicShadab KhanldquoThe laadi pav a Portuguese innovation was introduced to Mumbai by the Catholic pavwallas of Goa between the 1820s and 1870s eventually becoming a citywide staplerdquo shares Dr Kurush F Dalal archaeologist and culinary anthropologist ldquoAround the same time Muslim bread makers and Zoroastrian Irani bakers with their deeprooted baking traditions also contributed to its spreadrdquoldquoPav quickly gained popularity among Mumbairsquos working class especially mill workers living in shared accommodations where hot fresh chapatis werenrsquot a viable optionrdquo explains the food historian ldquoPav was affordable had better shelf stability than roti and provided a quick fussfree meal when paired with bhaji not to be confused with todayrsquos pav bhaji Unlike roti pav was egalitarianmdasheveryone ate the same bread breaking social barriers while easing the burden of home cooking particularly for womenrdquoThe pav is ubiquitous to Mumbai From vada pav stalls at railway stations to omelette pav and pav bhaji handcarts near bars this pillowy bread can be found in every corner of the citymdasha ready snack for Mumbaikars on the go File picIconic street foods like vada pav misal pav and pav bhajimdashwhere pav is the real heromdashcame much laterLike all of us Dalal too will miss the woodfired pav but he thinks itrsquos time for us to move on and modernise The move to electric and gaspowered ovens does promise cleaner air and modernised operations after allldquoAs Mumbai grows taller towering chimneys are no longer feasible Once built from brick and then metal they simply canrsquot stretch to 25 or 45 storiesrdquo he points out ldquoThe real issue isnrsquot losing the woodfired flavourmdashthat can be replicatedmdashbut the staggering cost of transition Entire setups must be dismantled new proofers installed and expensive electric or gas ovens brought in With gas prices soaring and electricity costs set to double how many bakeries can afford the shift The bigger question ismdashwill pav the ultimate commonerrsquos bread remain affordablerdquoChef and restaurateur Yajush Malik acknowledges the cost advantages of industrial production But this economic war of scale versus artisanal operations has forced many local pav wallas to shut shop after they were unable to competeHeena Punwani pulls out a steaming batch of pavs from the electric oven at Maska Bakery Mahim PicSAYYED SAMEER ABEDIAnd yet pav has been inseparable from Mumbai for nearly a century adapting to the cityrsquos everchanging landscape ldquoMumbairsquos laadi pav is unlike any othermdasha highhydration dough wellkneaded longproofed and often woodfired for a smoky crust Pav made outside Mumbai is often just white bread shaped like pav Ours has a unique pillowy texture with a slight chew perfect for soaking up flavours without overpowering themrdquo he explainsDespite the rise of artisanal and glutenfree bread Malik doesnrsquot see laadi pav fading ldquoThe OG artisanal bread has a universal appeal While some bakeries use industrial shortcuts the true custodians of Mumbai pav still stick to traditionrdquo he addsFor decades laadi pav has seen no innovation Its signature taste we are told comes from one brand of yeast Tower which is used in almost every bakery in the city thanks to its affordability ldquoShaped by bulk fermentation heat humidity and Tower yeastmdashitrsquos a combination that ensures that pav across Mumbai tastes nearly identical and is nearly impossible to replicate outside the city Itrsquos more than just breadmdashitrsquos part of the cityrsquos soulrdquo shares DalalMumbairsquos humid weather accelerates fermentation giving pav its signature slight sourness says Pinky ChandanDixit Founder at Aamchee ldquoWhen we mass produce or mechanise it we stabilise the process to make it more uniform and predictablerdquo she says ldquoSadly we will see the end of the woodfired oven era and the smaller family establishments will be most affected I hope they modify this rule to benefit allrdquoldquoPav is the backbone of Irani cafeacute culture a symbol of simplicity affordability and togethernessrdquo says Mansoor Showghi Yezdi a veteran of Mumbairsquos cafeacute scene and founder of Cafe Irani Chai ldquoWhether itrsquos served with kheema slathered with maska and dipped in chai or paired with a rich akuri pav is more than just breadmdashitrsquos a tradition But more than food pav represents the spirit of these spaces where students officegoers and oldtimers sit shoulder to shoulder sharing a table a conversation and a warm fresh pavrdquoHeena Punwani Pastry Chef and Founder of Maska Bakery in Mahim says ldquoPav isnrsquot just bread itrsquos the great equaliser of Bombay No matter who you are or where you come from everyone loves itrdquo At Maska Punwani enriches her pav with milk and butter giving it a softer more indulgent texturemdashsomething largescale commercial bakeries simply canrsquot replicate ldquoMassproduced pav wrapped in plastic with a long shelf life and available on Swiggy or Zomato tastes nothing like the artisanal loaves from your neighbourhood bakeryrdquo she saysIn Mahim for instance Bimbo Bakery still bakes pav the oldschool way producing two fresh batches daily ldquoThey make these incredible bada pav essentially a larger version of the classic If yoursquore late theyrsquore gone You literally have to ask them to save some for yourdquo says PunwaniNow this very legacy is under threat ldquoThe charm of traditional woodfired bakeries lies in their flavourmdashsomething industrial ovens simply canrsquot replicaterdquo says Punwani ldquoThese bakeries have kept pav affordable precisely because they still use woodfired ovens If they are forced to switch to industrial ovens how will they bear the cost Will pav still remain a staplerdquoShe points out the irony ldquoAround the world countries take pride in their artisans boasting about woodfired pizzas and bread But here in Mumbai where humble unsung bakers have been quietly keeping this tradition alive we may soon see them disappearrdquo Dalal echoes the concernmdashwhile the government has issued an ultimatum wherersquos the support for bakeries to make the switch Most of these establishments operate on razorthin margins prioritising affordability over profitBakeries are facing skyrocketing fuel costsmdashone 19 kg LPG cylinder now costs over Rs 2000 Commercial gas storage is a logistical nightmare and piped gas isnrsquot reliable at the pressure required for baking That leaves electricity But a single power cut midbake could ruin an entire batch making backup generators a necessitymdashsomething only large commercial bakeries can affordAs for small familyrun bakeries Without real financial and logistical support they wonrsquot stand a chanceThe bakersrsquo perspectiveIndia Bakers Association President Khodadad P Irani lays out the harsh reality ldquoThe traditional domeshaped brick ovens still used in many bakeries todaymdashspanning 120180 sq ftmdashare built exclusively for firewood They have no temperature control making a switch to electricity nearly impossible both physically and economically The power required to heat such a large surface would be astronomicalrdquoKhodadad IraniLPG is even riskier he says Bakeries often housed in residential buildings or crowded areas would need to store at least 20 cylinders at a time With bakery temperatures soaring to 4045degC this is a disaster waiting to happen Most areas donrsquot have the infrastructure for piped gas and setting it up is prohibitively expensiveThe only solution ldquoTearing down old ovens dismantling tall chimneys and rebuilding entire structures from scratchrdquo he laments ldquoWersquore not against changerdquo Irani clarifies ldquoBut it has to be practical We urge authorities to extend the deadline to at least 3036 months and offer subsidies covering 75 per cent of the cost Why not allow highspeed diesel in the interim Bread is a daily essentialmdashwe must find a solution that works for everyonerdquoPav maane feetIt is said that back in the day the dough was kneaded by foot ldquoWe were told thatrsquos why they call it lsquopavrsquo paon in Hindirdquo laughs Pinky ChandanDixit Founder at Aamchee archaeologist and culinary anthropologist Dr Kurush F Dalal recalls his grandfather turning him off pav with similar tales ldquoHersquod say that if you find black specks on your pav thatrsquos dirt from the toes of people kneading it ldquoI was grossed out Now everybody has a kneading machinerdquo he adds