Soumi Goswami
It used to be the stuff of every middle-class Kolkata kid’s lunchbox. And was the most important dish of picnic packets. A boiled egg, a banana, and a Bapuji cake. This small packet of goodness is not only a cake but an emotion. Many of us also have a memory of sneaking out a Bapuji cake in the middle of the tasteless maths class period. It was our forever companion to fight boredom in classes.
The reason why Bapuji cake is a part of childhood nostalgia is because of their ardent presence in the tiffin boxes. Almost every Bengali kid in school recess would savor this cake. It was simple, sweet, and addictive. And you can never have enough of it.
The roadside tea time adda was once incomplete without a Bapuji cake. A small piece of cake wrapped in oily butter paper filled in glass jars of these stalls added to the charm of the tea stall. Even today reaching out to these cakes in the tea stalls is not less than any joy.
Fancy cakes and muffins will come and go, but Bapuji cake is forever. And that’s why it makes its way to long train journeys as a delicious companion. Or to picnics as a part of the tiffin pack. Even served as snacks in the evening while studying.
After decades of giving joy to Kolkatans, the simple cake factory still operates manually. They do not have much automation or flattering packaging. They are still simple and have small workshops in the outskirts of Kolkata. The owner of the bakery, Mr. Jana is happy serving the deliciousness the way it is from the ’70s. That’s why we still have something to hold on to when we need to escape into the sweet memories of childhood. And that is our very own Bapuji cake.
