Poee facts for kids
Poee (pronounced "poy") is a special type of bread from Goa, a state in India. Traditional bakers in Goa, called poders, make this bread. It's a very important food for people living there.
Poee bread is round, soft, and has a pocket inside, much like a pita bread. This pocket makes it great for filling with other foods. Long ago, people used a drink called toddy (made from coconut palm wine) to help the bread dough rise. Today, bakers usually use yeast for this process. Poee is made from a mix of half refined flour (called maida) and half whole wheat flour.
A Taste of Goan History
Bread became a big part of Goan cuisine (Goa's style of cooking) when the Portuguese arrived in the early 1600s. Goa is special because it's the only state in India that has traditional breads that rise, like Poee.
In recent years, Poee has become popular even outside of Goa. One famous Goan meal is called Ross poee. This dish combines an omelet, a spicy curry called xacuti, and Poee bread. It's a favorite in many Goan homes.
How Poee is Made
Making Poee traditionally took a bit of time. First, the dough was left to ferment (rise) for two days using toddy. After rising, the dough was rolled into a ball, flattened, and then baked right on the floor of a hot, wood-fired oven.
This way of baking is what makes Poee different from another Goan bread called pao. Even though pao uses the same dough, it is baked in a pan, not directly on the oven floor. Poee bakes very quickly, usually in about two minutes. In bakeries, Poee is often baked before pao because it needs a hotter oven.
