A U-turn on traditional Diwali breakfast recipes

- Rush sale of Sweets-Dryfoot Expensive Biscuits-Chocolate and Canned Sweets-Rice

- Farsan took the place of Mewa Mithai

The trend of serving namkeen with sweets is being seen in households when the guests come to greet the new year on the occasion of Diwali and start drooling at the mouth-watering sweets. When a personal guest is served with a dish of sweets and namkeen, the tradition of making namkeen at home is decreasing day by day so that no guest leaves without breakfast. Hence, the domestic industry of namkeens, including the Diwali favourites, mathiya and cholafli, is not affected by the slowdown and Diwali seems to have indeed arrived. As sweets and dry fruits become expensive, there is also a new trend of buying new varieties of biscuits as a novelty.

On Diwali, sweets are served to sweeten the mouth of the guests. In Ahmedabad, Kaju Katri is considered the staple of Diwali sweets. But, due to the sharp increase in the price of sweets due to the rise in raw material prices this year, confectioners are expecting a drop in demand. The price of a kilo of sweets, which is available at the price of Rs.180 to Rs.1000, has increased from Rs.75 to Rs.300. On the other hand, in Diwali, the trend of putting something different as snacks seems to be starting as the relatives who go out to express their greetings at home eat enough sweets.

Biscuits are being bought to show innovation along with cost relief. Sources in the bakery industry say that the price of wood used in the kilns for baking biscuits has gone up. But, the price of biscuits has increased by Rs. 10 per kg, while the prices of food and raw materials remain the same. Available at Rs.90 to Rs.100 per kg, variety of flavors and designs of nankhatai and biscuits is maintained. This year new varieties of cornflakes, wheat or gram flour biscuits have also been introduced in the market. However, the prices of the biscuits range from Rs.150 to Rs.420, making maximum use of dry fruits. In many areas of Ahmedabad, women also prepare biscuits by providing flour and other raw materials to bakeries for a meager remuneration. Bakery businessmen say that the increase in the price of sweets and dry fruits is likely to benefit around 200 small and large bakeries in Ahmedabad this Diwali. Looking at the trend of consumption seen so far, the bakery businessmen will not get any rest in the next three-four days.

Like bakery items, there is no slowdown in the business of Namkin. In Ahmedabad, Mathiya, Cholafli and Ghooghra currency are specially seen on Diwali. There was a time when women used to make these things at home. But now, due to lack of time, women buy ready-made packets of matthia and cholapali at a price of Rs.80 to 100 per kg and go home and fry them as needed. In Ahmedabad, many women make daily bread by making mathiya, cholaphali and ghoogra. After preparations going on for the last one month, around 100 home industries making this type of namkeen are busy day and night to meet the purchases that are coming out on the days of Diwali.

Ahmedabadis also serve the guests with a few spicy namkeens, feeling that their mouths are broken after eating the sweets. There does not seem to be a slowdown in the purchase of snacks, considering the purchase of about 20 different products of chawana, sevchevdo, nagtia, chevda prepared in homes and home industries. Along with such snacks priced at Rs.90 to 120, varieties of namkeen with dry fruits sold at a price of 150 to 300 per kg and nadiadi mathiya are being seen. Sources in the market indicate that Ahmedabadites have adopted the mantra of 'Kooch Mitha Ho Jayen' along with 'Kooch Namkeen Ho Jayen' on Diwali.