There are certain foods that stay in your life forever, no matter how old you get. For me, biscuits are at the top of that list. And nothing beats the aroma of fresh cookies that instantly remind you of warmth and comfort. From childhood tiffin breaks to evening chai with friends, there has always been some biscuit or cookie waiting in the dabba at home.
Allow me to lead you on a tiny journey through biscuits.
The Charm of Fresh Cookies
There’s nothing quite like fresh, warm cookies. That aroma when you walk by a bakery? Pure temptation.
I can still recall the time in college when my best friend and I would hop off the bus at the stand just to score two warm, chocolate-chip cookies from a tiny bakery. They weren’t fancy, but lightness inside and that bit of crisp edge — uff! It felt as if you were holding happiness in your hand.
Even now, when someone serves me freshly baked cookies with my chai, I’ll never refuse. It’s that homely feeling, like someone has genuinely made an effort to bake them with love.
Baked Fresh Cookies: Crisp, Golden and Delicious
Cookies fresh from the oven are to comfort as baked ones are to everyday joy.
You know those tins of biscuits we all had at home, which were half the time filled with sewing needles once the biscuits were gone? That’s the charm. Baked cookies are just the thing when you want a crunchy snack that isn’t too heavy that you can dunk in a cup of chai.
A Family Tradition of Chai-Dipping
My dad is the chai-dipper in the family, so to speak. There isn’t a cookie that he’s made beyond his tea cup. The best part? They don’t whinge, only taste better soaked.
Why Fresh Cookies and Biscuits Never Leave Our Hearts
Now, come on — because let’s be honest, cream biscuits are not just a biscuit, they’re childhood, particularly cream biscuits with jam.
The Many Ways of Eating Cream Biscuits
Remember how we each had our own methods? Some of us opened them gently, licked the cream off, and then ate the biscuit. Some made sandwiches with a pair of biscuits. And some (like yours truly) always battled for the chocolate cream biscuit ones in the pack.
It seemed every school lunchbox had a small packet of cream biscuits inside. And it wasn’t just a matter of eating; it was about sharing — showing off which flavor you got, sometimes trading with friends: “I’ll give you my vanilla if you give me your orange cream.” Small joys of life.
Sweet Fresh Biscuits for Everyday
The sweet biscuits are the neglected players. Cadbury, Bourbon, Oreo … they are always there, waiting for you in the tin or the packet, ready to be dunked, crunched, nibbled.
They don’t need an occasion. They’re for the snacky 4 pm hunger, for when guests drop by unexpectedly or for when you just feel like eating something light before bedtime.
Nani’s House and the Steel Dabba
I can still remember when summer vacations meant nani’s house, there would be one big steel dabba filled with sweet biscuits. Every cousin used to sneak into the kitchen, pretending we weren’t hungry, but ended up eating half the stock.
Nani would say, “Arre, ye bacche kabhi aache se nahi khate, hamesha biscuits se hi pet bhar lete hain.”
Why We Can’t Get Enough
If you think about it, biscuits aren’t just snacks. They’re solace, companionship, and the way we remember. From the cozy warmth of fresh cookies to the satisfying crunch of baked cookies, from the whimsy of cream biscuits to the everyday love of sweet biscuits — they are all a part of their own story.
Perhaps that’s why we never outgrow them. And to this day, a packet of biscuits is a box of happiness shared across generations.
So enjoy your next biscuit dipped in chai, or stolen cookie from the cookie jar, and smile. You’re a link in a tradition every Indian home privately honors — tea biscuit time.
