By Shraddha C. Sankulkar
Pune is considered to be the cultural capital of Maharashtra, India. The city reflects a unique old world charm on one side, and a hi-tech modern aesthetics adorning the outskirts of the town on the other. Roughly 160 kms South-East of Mumbai , Pune has been a silent observer of a lot of history and politics shaping in its narrow old town lanes. From witnessing the rule of Peshwa dynasty, who were administrative incharge of the mighty Maratha empire, to being a place of action during the Indian freedom struggle in the 20th century, Pune got an immense exposure to various cultures, particularly during the colonial rule. Over the years, preservation of native traditional customs and also accommodating new cultural practices has been a hallmark of Pune.
Around 19th and the 20th century, the city started getting inhabited by people from Iran (earlier known as Persia), who were referred as Iranis. Iran then was ruled by the Safavids followed by the Qajar dynasty, who were strict proponents of religious conversions. Thus most of the Persians following the Zoroastrian faith fled their nation and took refuge world-wide. Many Zoroastrian Irani’s came to India and settled peacefully. They started practising their religion, professions and culture in the dominant backdrop of Pune’s traditional Maharashtrian identity. Most of the Iranis established cafés and bakeries, that offered unique delicacies, which were brought along as legacies of their native beloved land. The most popular offering at such cafés would be Irani tea (chai) and Bun Maska (freshly prepared and thinly sliced bread and butter) and bun omelette.
A typical Irani styled café would be serving tea, bread and butter, jam and butter, minced meat and bread (Kheema Pau) and berry pulav (fragrant spicy rice dish). The cafés would just not be an eatery but a place to meet, greet and discuss on local and world events. The café owners too were eager to connect to the visiting customers, as it build a community life away from home for them to belong. The oldest that still runs at Ferguson college road of Pune is ‘Café Goodluck’ that was established in 1935 by Mr. Hussain Ali Yakshi. But unfortunately over the years, the number of Irani styled cafés in Pune started deteriorating in numbers, primarily because of family disputes in running the business or the following generations (who were born in India) chose other professions for good. Later the remaining Irani styled cafés had lost their charm and aesthetics due to lack of manpower or by being unable to catch up with the changing world.
But in 2016, Pune saw the revival of the Iranian style café culture when two cousins Mr. Kasem and Mr Reza decided to start the Irani style café by their brand name ‘Irani Café. As kids and teenagers they had volunteered to work along with their uncles in their bakery and seen their grandfather run an Irani food outlet that offered tea, bread and butter and pastries of Iran. The cousins wanted to bring in the old charm value to their café but with a modern approach which would build a community life around the tables and chairs that would serve typical Irani menu. They noticed that in the olden times most of the Irani styled café’s would be flocked by just men and young boys. These men would chat for long hours along with their friends, smoke and discuss life for most of the café hours.
Kasem and Reza wanted their ‘Irani Café’ to be flocked by families, female customers, children along with their grand-folks, so that it felt like home around the tables.
To achieve this objective, first cigarette smoking was strictly prohibited and then the timings of the café were stretched till midnight. The first ever Irani Café that was established by the cousins was at Pune’s Viman Nagar. With its success they started building more cafés on the same lines. Today there are 18 Irani Café’s across the city of Pune, which have become iconic on Pune’s culinary map. Mr. Mokhtar and Mr. Amir (friends of Reza and Kasem) have join the business and are continuing the legacy of what their forefathers brought along with them from Persia. Besides the usual menu of Irani chai (milk tea), Irani Black tea, Bun-Maska (Bread & Butter), Jam-Pau (Jam bread), Bun Omelette (bread omelette) and Kheema Pau (Minced meat and bread) and Berry Pulao are served by waiters. All the outlets have unique aesthetics, where the tables have a glass top, under which the menu is placed.
The wooden chairs are iconic of Irani style cafés. The most unique feature of every Irani Café is the placement of a traditional ‘Samovar’ tea pot, which literally teleports the admirer into Persia. Besides this, the walls are decorated with Persian bead and wool art, crockery and wooden window cut outs with wall tiles that reflect Persian designs. The hallmark colour that is used to paint the café is turquoise green and white. In a glass and wood cabinet all Irani Café’s display exotic sweets and local snacks that tease one’s taste buds. The most popular being Irani Bakhlava, Lamington cake, chicken cutlet and various types of croissants. Its been 9 years now that the café is expanding its culinary offerings to the people of Pune and its visitors. Its amazing to see how the Iranian food culture has blended in to the cultural landscape of Pune and has been successful in building a sense of community, thus achieving a full circle, as the grandchildren of the migrants who fled their nation are the ones who are bringing together the people of their own nation, over a cup of Irani chai!
Photo Courtesy: Shraddha C. Sankulkar & www.iranicafe.in
