Mawa magic: Mumbai bids farewell to a century-old sweet tradition

Itrsquos as if a wonder of Mumbai has closed down you knowrdquo comes an exasperated response from Zyros Zend copartner of the cityrsquos Yazdani Bakery and Restaurant The wonder he refers to is the 112year old B Merwan amp Co that closed its doors in early January The development however draws attention to a baked item that has been a part of every Mumbaikarrsquos chai time treat mdash the mawa cakeNecessary innovationThe Parsis brought the ubiquitous cake to the cityrsquos cafe culture ldquoIt was a part and parcel of growing up for most members of the communityrdquo reveals culinary historian Kurush Dalal The origins though have multiple claimants Royal Bakery on Punersquos MG Road is one of the contenders along with the erstwhile Grant Road institutionThe now shuttered B Merwan and Co at Grant Road PicSatej ShindeDalal points out ldquoIt comes from Kumas mdash a Parsi delicacy that was homemade baked on coals in double boiler attachments or a stove toprdquo Parag Phadnis of Eat Well Cold Storage in Mulund observes ldquoYou have to remember refrigerators were not commonplace The only way to preserve milk was to boil it repeatedly creating mawakhoya the key ingredientrdquo Phadnis continues to stock the famed cupcakes from Punersquos Kayani Bakery at his Mulund address to great demand till date ldquoIt is a tea time cake and a part of nostalgia for Mumbaikarsrdquo he elaboratesKumas Pic courtesyNilouferrsquos kitchen right Kurush DalalEgalitarian economicsLike any Mumbai food it was also representative of the cityrsquos economics Jehangir Patel the longtime editor of Parsiana adds ldquoIrani cafes serve everyone across class and religious divides and through the day They were located conveniently often in business districts and near railway stations The fare was freshly made every day and affordable The mawa cakes themselves were simple in taste and perfect with teardquoMawa cake from Kayani Bakery in Pune right Parag PhadnisZend chimes in saying that cakes were not instantly ordered then and the humble mawa cake was an everready alternative ldquoLike the vada pav simple and deliciousrdquoThen there is the consistency Over a century and bakers still swear by a common recipe with certain variations Elaichi jaifal vanilla malai eggs and mawa are key ingredients mdash No margarine Zend warns Dalal points out that some restaurants would use a touch of rava to add texture ldquoYou now have the eggless version but the traditional one has to have eggsrdquo adds PhadnisYazdanirsquos version of the dessert right Zyros ZendTaste of nostalgiaFor many they are a throwback Dalal remembers visiting his paternal grandmotherrsquos sister in Grant Road and bingeing on a treat of two mawa cakes and sweet Rogerrsquos ice cream soda from B Merwan The mawa cake was the standard to measure the quality of a Parsi cafe or bakeryJehangir PatelNot everyone fell in love with it The historianrsquos wife Rhea Dalal admits her first experience of the dessert at the Grant Road hub was a little underwhelming ldquoThat said it was a simple sweet dish easytomake Not everything has to be showy and impressiverdquo says the home bakerChanging timesRhea DalalThe explosion of cafes and rising overhead costs have left these traditional institutions on the edge For bakers like Zend the rising clamour over the use of wood ovens throws another spanner in the works ldquoIt is like asking us to retire our David Beckham It is just not the samerdquo he quips For a teatime snack that has survived war and changing tastes this might be just another phaseMawa cake fixMawa cakes from Cafe ColonyKyani amp CoAT Jer Mahal Estate Jagannath Shankar Sheth Road Marine LinesCALL 8928616793Sassanian Restaurant and BakeryAT 98 Marine View Marine LinesCALL 8976091334Britannia amp CoAT Wakefield House Ballard Estate FortCALL 222615264Yazdani Restaurant amp BakeryAT 11 A Cawasji Patel Street Kala Ghoda FortCafe ExcelsiorAT Kitab Mahal AK Nayak Marg FortCALL 22074543Olympia Coffee HouseAT Rahim Mansion No 1 Shahid Bhagat Singh Marg ColabaCALL 9920992555Ideal CornerAT Hornby View Building Rustom Sidhwa Marg FortCALL 9930260703Cafe Colony RestaurantAT G1 Shrikant Lodge Hindu Colony Dadar EastCALL 224142321Eatwell Cold StorageCall 9594081810 for orders