Namkeen and Festivals: The role of namkeen in Indian festivals and celebrations

India is a land where everything is large-sized—from festivals to fun to food. We are a people who love to bring out the best in everything and our culture is like a colourful quilt. It’s not just about clothes and traditions; it’s also about the yummiest food variety you can imagine! Take any festival- India has special food items for each of them. But one food item is particularly popular regardless of the festival, event, or situation and that item is namkeen. The place of namkeen in Indian festivals has become almost integral now thanks to the taste, availability, and ease of serving and eating that namkeen offers. Be it Diwali, Christmas, Eid, or even a simple birthday party-  no celebration feels complete without the inclusion of namkeen in the festive spread. In this blog, let us have a look at the role, its significance, and how the connection between Namkeen and celebrations. 

Namkeen in Indian Festivals: Cuisine, Culture, and More

The concept of namkeen or what it means changes from place to place and region to region in India. Even the name seems to change a lot. Regardless, the classic definition of namkeen can be summarised in two words- savoury snack. This definition changes according to the region, for instance, ‘namkeen’ is often replaced by ‘faral’ in Maharashtra where it includes both ‘namkeen’ snacks as well as sweet items. 

Sharing food with your loved ones is one of the most important parts of every festival in India. These delicious modern as well as traditional festive snacks have been a major part of almost all festivities for many generations now. As these snacks are tasty, versatile, and tend to have a fairly long shelf-life, they continue to be popular even once the festivities are done.

Popular Namkeen for Festivals: Must-Have Festive Snacks

Most namkeen items in Indian Festivals have their own taste, ingredients, and speciality, but all of them share one common trait- all the snacks come with a rich flavour profile that is a representation of the region from where they come from. This is why we have such a large variety of traditional festive snacks i.e. namkeen for every festival. Let’s take a ‘taste test’ by visiting some of the most popular namkeen items:

1. Aloo Bhujia: This crunchy, spicy snack made from potatoes is popular year-round- festival or not. Its versatile taste makes it an ideal partner for sweets or even as a stand-alone treat for guests. 
2. Mixture: Mixture can be perhaps called the king of namkeen. Known by various names around the country including- micchar, farsan, chivda, etc. mixture is-as the name suggests, a mixture of various flavours and food items. There are many different types of mixtures available in the market that tend to change from region to region. For instance, Frontier offers delicious versions such as Frontier Corn Flakes Mixture, Frontier Khata Mitha Mixture, Frontier Navratan Mixture, and lots more. 
3. Namak Para: Shakkar para is a mildly sweet fried food item that is quite common during the festival season. Namak para is its savoury sister, i.e. it is shakkar para without the sugar. Namak para thus has a distinct, light, and salty flavour that can be enhanced by adding other ingredients. For instance, the Frontier Namak Para is lightly flavoured using ‘ajwain’ that gives it a distinct taste that your guests will love.
4. Gathia: Also spelt as ‘ganthiya’ is a popular snack item from the state of Gujarat. It is made using predominantly ‘besan’ flour and generally has a ‘cumin’ flavour. Various shapes of gathia are available in the market and Frontier offers two most commonly found variants- Frontier Gathia, and Frontier Gathia Papdi.  
5. Chakali: The queen of Maharashtrian ‘faral’, Diwali celebrations are incomplete with a delicious, crunchy, and crispy chakali. Made from rice flour (and other ingredients depending on the variant of chakali), it is spiced and deep-fried into spirals, making it a crunchy and flavorful snack. Its spicy taste, crispy texture, and fun shape make it popular among both kids and adults alike. A similar namkeen called Murukku is quite common in the Southern region of India. Nowadays, both chakli and murukku are available in various interesting flavours- right from traditional spicy ones to unique ‘soy sauce’ and ‘Manchurian-flavoured’ options.
6. Mathri:  Mathri is a popular namkeen that is sort of like a flaky fried biscuit. You can munch on mathri (or mathi) by itself, but the real magic happens when you pair it with a steaming cup of masala chai and ‘Gupshup’. Frontier has two delicious options of mathri- the Frontier Methi Mathi and the Frontier Plain Mathi.

Conclusion

Namkeen—the unsung hero of Indian festivals. These savoury treats, from classic to contemporary, steal the show at every celebration making every festival extra special. 

Frontier Biscuits understands the importance of love and togetherness during festivals and how food can be the connecting link between all of these. This is why the brand offers not only a delicious range of namkeen but also a large range of tasty, unique, and appetising biscuits savoury and sweet. So don’t wait, start preparing for the upcoming festivities by visiting Frontier Biscuits’s website right away!