Mangalore Tea Biscuits

LIKE people and places, it’s funny how certain foodstuffs too can evoke a sense of nostalgia. While in Mangalore recently, I picked up a packet of tea biscuits that my grandmother used to stock along with other goodies from the local bakery as a supplement to the wonderful treats that she herself dished out every evening for tea.

Although I have no archival evidence to support the claim, I’m told that these were first introduced in Mangalore by the bakers Andrew Pinto & Sons in the year 1850, which means they're about as old as the Indian Railways! Though not half as expensive or famous, they continue to be as typical to the region as Kayani's Shrewsbury biscuits are to Pune.

Although the original bakery has long since ceased to exist, several others now manufacture these biscuits and supply them to retail stores throughout the length and breadth of South Kanara district. Its cellophane packaging is most unpretentious but tucked between its mildly sweet contents for me are a host of sweeter memories!