Roath’: Kashmir’s forgotten sweet bread makes a comeback
Srinagar: ‘Roath’ used to be a part of every celebratory occasion in Kashmir but then the entry of modern bakeries pushed the traditional sweet bread into oblivion.
Now, ‘roath’, which is a kind of cross between bread and cake, is being ordered yet again in the Valley. Though the demand is little, this mildly sweet bread variety is not only being ordered by the locals in Kashmir, it has also started attracting top food bloggers of the country.
Some demand back for ‘roath’
Irfan Sofi, who runs a bakery shop in the Hazratbal area of the city, said there had been an increase in demand for ‘roath’ during the past couple of years.
“There has been an increase in demand for ‘roath’ during the past year or two. It is not in big demand like before but people do order it for celebratory occasions when they have to go somewhere to wish ‘Mubarak’. We add dry fruits like almonds and cashew nuts to make it more appealing,” Sofi told KM.
‘Roath khabar’
“In the yesteryears, ‘roath khabar’ used to announce the arrival of a new bride in the neighborhood. People used to take ‘roath’ for ‘Mubarak’ when a student would pass examinations or after circumcision. If someone recovered after an illness, ‘roath’ was distributed. It was also distributed at shrines like Hazratbal after the ‘zari’ (tonsuring after childbirth) ceremony of children. Unfortunately, modern-day cakes and pastries have now replaced ‘roath’ which was a unique feature of Kashmiri tradition and culture,” said Omar.