BusinessWire India
New Delhi [India], August 11: It begins with smoke. Not the synthetic haze of a factory floor, but the comforting curl rising from a blackened kadhai in Kolhapur. A mother drops puffed rice into simmering oil, adding fiery masala with the flair only years of instinct can give. A state away, in the coastal gullies of Thoothukudi, a boy races on his bicycle--his handlebar sack swinging with the weight of freshly-roasted pepper cashews. No branding. No preservatives. Just flavour, passed hand to hand.
For decades, this was how India snacked. Until it wasn't.
The Problem: When Our Snacks Forgot Where They Came From
At some point, taste took a shortcut.
India's once-glorious world of namkeen, with its pride, place, and peculiarities, became a battleground of shelf life and margin. That Kolhapuri crunch was now neon orange. That Seeval from Madurai? Now drowned in bad oils and lab-tested for longevity, not love.
A 2024 FSSAI report quietly confirmed what most grandmothers already suspected: over 60% of India's packaged snacks contain refined palm oil, an industrial fat linked to rising LDL cholesterol and long-term heart risk. And that's before you even reach the preservatives aisle: BHA. TBHQ. Tartrazine.
Chemicals that wouldn't dare enter a home kitchen now fill our snack jars.
The Rediscovery: Where Memory Still Lives
Patang was born not in a boardroom, but in a moment of yearning. For real food. For the smell of mustard oil hitting iron. For the feel of snacks that spoke of place, people, and time.
"We didn't want to build a brand," says Shoury Gupta, Patang's Founder. "We wanted to trace a memory. I wanted to eat like I did when I was ten."
And so, Patang went searching. To Bengaluru, where a retired teacher still makes Tapioca Chips every Sunday for her neighbours. To Madurai, where Seeval is cut not with blades, but fingers. To Thoothukudi, where cashews are still pan-tossed in pepper and pride. These aren't factories. They're families. Communities. Tiny kitchens with huge stories.
The Revival: Small Batches, Big Heart
Today, Patang launches across India with a quiet rebellion. No preservatives. No colours that could double as a science project. Patang flavours are:
a. 100% vegetarian (some even vegan)
b. Made in its region of origin
c. Crafted in 60-90 kilo batches
d. Cooked in healthier oils such as cold-pressed groundnut and mustard
Every pack comes not just with a crunch, but with a tale of someone, somewhere, still doing things the old way.
A recent Mintel survey found that 72% of urban Indian millennials now read ingredient labels before buying snacks. They're saying no to Tartrazine, no to "contains permitted antioxidants," and yes to foods that feel familiar, trustworthy, and true. These consumers aren't just looking for clean ingredients - they're looking for a connection.
Patang speaks their language. Not in marketing gloss, but in the dialects of Kolhapuri, Tamil, Bengali, Marathi - the unspoken tongue of snacks that travelled in dabbas, not cartons. Of Calcutta Chanachur wrapped in newspaper. Of Bhadang passed around train compartments. Of rainy Sundays, hot chai, and the soft rustle of old recipes brought back to life.
The Invitation: Come Taste a Story
Patang's inaugural collection features eight regional specialties, available nationwide through www.thepatangstory.com starting today. Soon, Patang will also be on leading ecommerce and quick commerce platforms, with a monthly subscription box for regular snack lovers and curated Diwali gifting options for the festive season.
"We're not just selling snacks," adds Gupta. "We're creating a bridge between India's culinary heritage and today's conscious consumers." Patang plans to expand to 50 regional flavours by next year, working with traditional artisans across India
The founder, Shoury Gupta, is an alumnus of Shri Ram College of Commerce (India) and SDA Bocconi School of Management (Italy), having previously worked with organizations including ValueFirst (Tanla Platforms), U2opia Mobile, TrulyMadly, and Dentsu Aegis Network.
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