📍 Shortcut-Free Namkeen: Why We Went to the Source, Not the Factory
When we started Patang, we had two choices:
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Partner with a large, efficient factory that could produce thousands of packs overnight.
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Travel across India, one region at a time, to find the real makers — the halwais, the spice grinders, the homespun kitchens that gave Indian snacks their soul.
Guess which one our investors liked?
Guess which one we picked?
Because Taste Doesn’t Come from Timelines
You can’t hurry the heat of a kadhai.
You can’t automate the feel of perfect chakli dough.
And you definitely can’t simulate the scent of hing blooming in ghee, rising in the air as a halwai nods in approval.
We’ve seen it firsthand.
In Pune, where the air feels dry but fragrant — and the bhakadwaadi is shaped not by machines, but by wrists that know exactly when to stop squeezing.
In Sattur, where the seeval crackle in oil just so — and the secret is not just the ingredients, but the confidence of someone who’s made them since they were a child.
This is not just production.
It’s craftsmanship.
And it doesn’t live in an assembly line.
Factories Offered Us Consistency. The Source Offered Us Story.
Of course, factories are tempting.
Everything is measured, timed, labeled, barcoded.
But you know what doesn’t show up on those labels?
The warmth of the halwai who lets you taste a fresh batch before packing it.
The pride in the spice seller’s voice when he tells you his ajwain came from Rajasthan, not some bulk distributor.
The way a snack feels different when it’s made for someone, not just by someone.
We realised: consistency can be taught.
But conviction — that comes from people who care.
The Journey Wasn’t Easy. But It Was Necessary.
Going to the source meant longer timelines.
It meant coordinating logistics from small towns with no cold chain.
It meant testing and re-testing ingredients that didn’t always behave the same way.
But it also meant real food. Real flavour.
And a deep respect for where it all comes from.
The chilli powder that tingles just right — ground in a local mill, not a corporate warehouse.
The cashew that stays crisp because we figured out how to transport it from Tamil Nadu without losing its texture.
The sweet potato chip that feels like it came from your aunt’s kitchen — because it kind of did.
Why This Matters to You (Even If You Don’t Realise It Yet)
When you eat something made at the source, your body knows.
The flavour lingers. The stomach feels light. The snack doesn’t shout — it sings.
At Patang, we believe food carries memory.
And memories aren’t manufactured. They’re made.
Slowly. Carefully. Joyfully.
So no, we don’t make our snacks in a giant factory.
We make them where they belong.
Because when you go to the source, you get more than great taste.
You get trust. You get truth. You get a snack that feels like coming home.
