Young entrepreneurs in India are reinventing the traditional recipe that has been part of the country’s culture for a long time. They are actually creating modern avatars of traditional recipes. From hawking local delicacies ranging from Dilli wale chhole and Himachali rajma to Chettinad chukka and original Kolhapuri jhatka, these startups are leaving no stone unturned to tickle consumers’ taste buds.
Like Malaki, a modern beverage brand is looking to retell the story of India’s functional beverage ecosystem. The startup’s portfolio includes 24-karat-gold-flavored drinks. “With the cultural emergence of a generation that does not mind paying a premium for quality products, our range serves their evolving fitness needs,” said Malaki’s co-founder Mohit Bhatia, who, along with his partner, has around three decades of experience in the space.
Another startup, Spice Story, is banking on the belief that Indians like their food with a dash of “tadka” and a range of homegrown sauces, chutneys, and syrups. The brand has recently launched liquid nolen gur (date palm jaggery) from West Bengal in a squeeze bottle similar to Hershey’s chocolate syrup. “We have all grown up with our region’s varieties of chutneys and pickles,” said Soumyadeep Mukherjee, CEO and co-founder, Spice Story. “Understanding this need, we wanted to provide a modern day solution to our customers who miss the recipes made by their grandmothers.”
Heightened awareness, rising income levels and the proliferation of food delivery startups across India are fuelling the boom for these products, said industry experts. “Thanks to chefs and influencers on social media, people are not hesitant to go on holidays that centre around food these days,” said Krishnadas G, marketing head at Symega Food Ingredients, which specialises in creating flavours, curries and colours for top domestic and international food brands. A few years ago, for instance, all cuisines from the south were grouped under South Indian food. Currently, that’s not the case.
Food startups, too, are cashing in on the demand. While Bengaluru’s Tasty Tales has tasted success with its curry pastes of Mangalorean ghee roast and Bengali mustard prawns, Tapas Foods from the same city wants to take its makhana snacks global. The Cumin Club, started by a student who longed for home-cooked food, has actually managed to take its five-minute Indian meal kits comprising pulusu pindi, bisibelebath, and Punjabi kadhi to global consumers.
In addition, another new player in the beverage space, Auric, is targeting millennials with Ayurvedic drinks that it claims enhance the mind, body, skin, and hair, while aiding in weight loss.