The Great Indian Rusk Hunt: Unveiling the Best Rusk Brands in India (2024 Edition)

Rusks are one of the most popular tea-time snacks in India and their popularity can only be truly matched by India’s love affair with biscuits. Not only are rusks, or as they are popularly known as ‘toasts’ delicious, but they are quite affordable and filling, making them a good option for all those evening-time cravings or early morning breakfasts. Rusks are available in a delightful variety of delicious flavours right from simple and plain rusks to ‘elaichi’ aka cardamom rusks, nuts rusks, fennel rusks, sesame rusks, and lots more. It is then no wonder that many different brands across India produce their own varieties of rusks along with different shapes, flavours, and price tags. These rusk manufacturing companies include commercial companies, local businesses, and traditional bakeries. In this blog, let us have a look at some of the most popular rusk brands in India and how you can choose between them. 

What Makes Best Rusk ‘the Best’?

Like any other food item, rusks are quite subjective to individual tastes and preferences, which means while one particular variant may be highly celebrated by a large chunk of the population, there might still be a few people who absolutely despise it. Regardless, there are a few factors that can help you choose the best rusk in India. It should be noted that these parameters too can change according to the size of the company and the kind of customer base they are trying to target. For the purpose of this blog, let us only focus on brands that are more commercially inclined as compared to local bakeries that serve only a small region. 

Parameters:

Main Ingredient of the Rusk:

Traditionally, a rusk is made using a combination of wheat flour, vegetable oil or butter, sugar, semolina, salt, etc. This recipe creates a plain rusk. But it is also possible to find other types of recipes that include nuts, sesame, flavours such as cardamom and more for a distinct and unique taste. Similarly, certain rusks may also contain eggs, so do check the packaging before buying one. Another variant of the rusk is the healthy variant which generally uses healthy substitutes such as oats, multigrains, etc. as the main component. Any best rusk brand in India will surely prioritise using only the highest quality of ingredients while making their products to maintain both hygiene and taste.

Packaging:

Rusks are generally quite long-lasting and can stay fresh for a long time as compared to other baked products. However, it is recommended to have proper packaging to prevent them from going moist and help them stay fresh for a long time. Most commercially available rusks are sold in packs that can’t be resealed (albeit exceptions exist). If your pack of rusks cannot be resealed, it is better to transfer the rusks to an airtight container so that you can enjoy them for a long time. Nowadays, you can also find smaller packs of rusk by different brands that you can finish at one time, thus preventing the necessity of storage. 

Sizes:

Both the size of the rusks and the size of the packaging matter a lot when choosing the best one for you. Certain rusks are smaller in size, including even bite-sized rusks, but you can also find large rusks that are shaped like traditional sliced bread. Most rusks are available in a 500gm pack, but you can always find smaller or larger packs as well. Check the market to find the best rusk brand in India and the size options that are available.

Flavours and Taste

Rusks are available in a variety of tastes and flavours for tastebuds of all kinds. The most common flavours include plain rusks, sweet rusks, cardamom-flavoured rusks, and more, but you can always find other flavours such as nuts, fennel, chocolate, etc. The preference of the taste is quite subjective as per the likings of an individual, but it is recommended to have a rusk that has an overall well-rounded sweetness so that it does not overpower the taste of the tea and rather complements it nicely. 

Price Range

The prices of rusks can range between a lot of extremes. For instance, it is possible to find the cheapest rusks at a mere 1-2 Rs per piece, but you can also find more expensive ones including Rs 10+ per piece. 

Appearance and Texture

Both the appearance and texture of the rusks should be good and desirable. The rusk should be sturdy enough to tolerate ‘dunking’ for at least three seconds without falling off. The colour of the rusk should be nice and brown and it is recommended to have a consistent browning throughout the package. The thickness of the rusk matters too- the rusk should neither be too thick nor too thin for the perfect taste. 

Current Popular Rusk Manufacturing Companies in India

Parle Rusk Elaichi

This is a popular rusk option flavoured with cardamom. Available in a 300 gm packet, this is a fairly long-lasting rusk option that is crunchy due to the inclusion of semolina along with wheat flour. The rusk is moderately sweet but the flavour of the cardamom is not too strong. Parle Rusk is a fairly affordable and cost-efficient rusk option available in the market. 

Britannia Toastea

Another popular brand, Toastea by Britannia is available in different sizes including a 182-gram pack. It is a very crunchy rusk with a lovely cardamom flavour. This mildly sweet rusk manages to maintain a decent crunch even when it is dunked in tea, making it the best rusk in India according to a lot of people. 

Chaayos Suji Rusk

Known for their instant tea packs, Chaayos also manufactures high-quality semolina rusks. It comes in a convenient package that is available in a 400-gram option. This is a rather expensive variation of rusk that is flavoured with cardamom. 

POLKA Diet Rusk

As the name suggests, the POLKA Diet rusk is a healthy rusk option available in the market. It is made using semolina and Oligo fructose which is a naturally occurring sweetening compound instead of using refined sugar. It contains a mild flavour of cardamom and fennel. While it is marketed as a healthy alternative to other rusks, it still has the same amount of calories. 

Conclusion:

While it is true that there are many commercial as well as local brands that sell different types of rusks available in different packaging and at different price ranges, if you are looking for the best rusk brand in India that has been serving its customers for over a century, then look no further than Frontier biscuits. With a wide range of flavours including low-sugar variants, Frontier Rusks will quickly become the best friend of your tea-time.