During my school days (Thirty-Five years ago), a treat for me will the simple “Bun, Butter & Jam” that was sold in a nearby bakery. Those days when my mother was going out (a rarity) and won’t be able to give me lunch, she will give Rs.2, the price for the treat, and a permission letter to allow me out during lunchtime – my school didn’t have a canteen till I reached 11th Standard (Grade).

I enjoyed watching the local baker picking a long blackened knife (not cleaned for years), slicing the bun in the stomach to leave a small bit at the end holding the two sides together, slapping two long dollops of butter on one side and a few tablespoons of mixedfruit jam (spread) on the other side of the bun, then pressing together the two halves of the bun in between his sweaty palms to finally handing the delicacy to the hungry boy standing in front of him.

Because of the fond memories of this dish, whenever I eat this, I get transported momentarily to a good time. Recalling that, I ordered Bun, Butter and Jam today and enjoyed it thoroughly. I had paid Rs.35 from the SweetKaramCoffee website.

The “Bun, Butter and Jam” sold in McRennett or Adyar Bakery don’t taste the same, you should buy it only from traditional small bakers.

Bun, Butter & Jam

Bun, Butter & Jam

Cocoa Mittai, Sweet Karam Coffee - Bun Butter Jam

Cocoa Mittai, Sweet Karam Coffee – Bun Butter Jam

Flower Biscuits

 

Sugar Cream Colour Flower Biscuits (Pic Courtesy: Internet)

Sugar Cream Colour Flower Biscuits (the above picture is meant to be illustrative)

While we are talking about bakery treats in my childhood, there is another one that comes to mind. Till my 10th standard class, we were living in Chennai’s Ranganathan Street (T.Nagar) and once in a while, when my father goes shopping in the Panagal park area, he will get a pack of special biscuits for me and my sisters. We used to be looking forward to it. It was from a shop called Universal Stores (Bakery), which was at the place where Khadim Shoes stands today (next to Lalitha Jewellery, Usman Road). The cookies, a term I had never heard in those days, were called Flower Biscuits and were made in the back of the store. Each biscuit was a round slab of a sweet wafer with a dollop of crystalised sugar cream on top, every biscuit had a different colour cream and in a variety of flowery shapes, which added an allure for the young.

#Bun #Bread #Baker #Delicacy #schooldays

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