I have always been a ‘Subano-skeptical’, if that makes any sense. After all, these biscuits,, produced by the Mauritius Biscuit Making Co. Ltd, were never really known for stellar quality. Since I remember from my childhood, Subana made okay-ish biscuits which were nothing special; neither exceptionally good, nor exceptionally bad. At best, they were a decent accompaniment for the cup of tea, during ‘ler dite’. I have memories of my grandmother dipping her ‘Kris dou’ biscuits (sweet dry biscuits) in her metal mug. For the more adventurous among us, we would rip the ‘Kris sale’ (the salty equivalent of Kris dou) ones in our cup and pretend to be connoisseurs of the delicate sweet-salty balance of flavours. But most of the time, we were all really hungry and just wanted a cheap treat. Cheap is the keyword here. Subana biscuits were known to be affordable and this is where they shone. To be fair, this might have been something that played against the reputation of the brand. I will not go into the intricacies of perception and social mobility, but I do have a hypothesis that these are intimately linked.
I will also not go into the crises of the company which almost definitely ceased operations. In 2012, financial difficulties got the better of production and the business was no longer viable for Mauritius Biscuit Making Co. Ltd which was founded in 1971. However, it was bought by Freelance Distributors in 2014 and after a period of outsourcing, which was not necessarily the best idea from the gourmet point of view, it appears the local manufacturing started again. At least that’s what can be read on the packet of these cookies, which proudly sport the ‘Made in Moris’ logo. How exciting! [Mauritian national anthem plays in my mind…not].
As it is quite clear by now, I have never been a fan of Subana biscuits. I found them boring, often trying to be a copycat of more well-known brands, and without even trying to conceal it. Yes, I am looking at you, box of ‘Give me more’s, trying to impersonate Baker’s ‘Eet sum mor’s…Also, RIP grammar. Originality is not necessarily Subana’s forte. But again, these biscuits are are an ok alternative to the obnoxiously priced Baker’s biscuits. I don’t know if the price is because of local taxes and profits or the upfront costs of manufacturing. Anyhow, back to these cookies, which, I must confess, caught my eye. I was randomly scrolling through Facebook, like any decent human being does, when I stumbled on the quite pompous promotional campaign on these.
What really grabbed my attention, though, was the simplicity of the packaging, and the equal simplicity of the biscuits. The packaging was somewhat of a contrast as compared to what the brand was doing recently. They actually showcased the content, which were looking quite…tempting? More importantly, perhaps, there as a sense of nostalgia. Something I cannot quite express. Was it linked to grandma memories? Was it the longing for something unpretentious? I am not sure. But I sure got one of these last time I went to the supermarket to empty my bank account on food. And yes, food prices are indecent and end up tearing the proverbial hole in my wallet, every time.
The packaging looked like it was on the Facebook page but the biscuits (or cookies, as they are branded) themselves had a bit of a strong tan. I assumed they were overcooked, and expected some dry, slightly bitter taste experience. But I still bought it, because, why not? Let’s support local businesses! That’s what I told myself to justify my gluttony at least. My expectations were not high though. At worst, it would be around 30 rupees wasted (I don’t remember the exact price).
I happened to open the packet one night, with a cup of coffee, because I did not make tea at that point in time. And yes, tea and coffee are not dichotomous. Have you ever had coffee in tea? I did. No regrets. What is good with having low expectations is that the margin for disappointment is thin. This held true. I was greeted with the smell of nostalgia, in some confusing way. I don’t consciously remember having eaten these, yet even the smell triggered some unknown memory. And the taste and texture followed as well. Les apparences sont parfois trompeuses. Indeed, the cookies were neither overcooked, nor bitter. They had the perfect crispiness and crumbliness, with just the right moisture level to be eaten on their own. The taste was rich as well. But where they really shine is in a hot beverage. Yes, even coffee. I channelled my grandma energies and ended up eating half of the packet without even realising it. Simple and delectable biscuits. I later came to know that they tasted like ‘biskwi 5 sou’, 5 cent biscuits which were sold by the unit in shops and which were loved by children and adults alike.
Does this mean that I have been converted to Subana biscuits? Probably not. At least not yet. Will I buy these nostalgia-tasting biscuits again? Most definitely. I genuinely hope that the can drive forth and become a brand we will choose to be faithful to.
留言