The Bakers’ Association Kerala (BAKE) is launching a campaign to promote ethnic foods of Kerala, particularly snacks and short-eats, to help Kerala’s distinct tastes to survive the onslaught of Western fast foods.

BAKE, which in recent years has taken several steps to raise hygiene standards of the baking industry, is organising a workshop for entrepreneurs willing to make and market traditional and ethnic food items. About 100 new home-based entrepreneurs, including housewives, are being invited to attend the workshop.

“We want women with culinary skills and aptitude to set up their own home-based units that can regularly supply the ethnic items to our bakeries,” VP Abdul Saleem, general secretary of the Ernakulam district unit of BAKE, told Business Line .

Saleem noted that Kerala has a wide range of ethnic foods. “The three regions of the State – Malabar, Kochi and Travancore – have distinct culinary traditions and ethnic dishes,” he said. “In fact, most villages have their own traditional dishes.”

For instance, Thalassery in northern Kerala is well-known for its exotic snacks and short-eats.

Brand building The workshop will give work training, guidance in complying with hygiene norms of the Food Safety and Standards Authority and also how to establish brands out of the home-made snacks. Marketing will be a focus area. BAKE will issue its label to the snack units.

Saleem said the association’s ‘Goodbye to Colours’ campaign to discourage bakeries from adding harmful colours to snacks was a big success. Now, members are using only authorised colours moderately. The initiative to weed out artificial colours from banana chips, halwa and laddus have helped create awareness on the harmful effects of colours in foodstuffs.

Saleem said the drive to promote ethnic foods would be launched in all districts and a series of workshops will be held to introduce new entrepreneurs, particularly housewives, to the concept.

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