Is it a biscuit? It is a chip? A wafer thin hybrid, generously peppered with a tangy, spicy flavoring, Pran’s Potata has become a cult favorite all over India.
So much so, that this product has broken out of the traditional North East Indian and West Bengal market to as far as Mumbai and New Delhi.
Talking to Dhaka Tribune over phone Dhrubo Chatterjee from Kolkata said: “This biscuit is kind of special to us, although at first it was confusing whether it was a biscuit or chips. I especially like the spicy flavor.”
He says it’s available everywhere, but mainly in Kalighat, Alipur, Bhawanipur at almost any super shop and grocery store. “It's also on Amazon!”
Twitter too cannot get enough. It has been blowing up with people who just cannot stop raving about Potata and it’s namesake hashtags are everywhere, as India’s favourite lockdown food.
Anoop Srinivas Bhat tweeted : How many have tasted this delicious spicy Pizza flavoured thin biscuits?
How many have tasted this delicious spicy Pizza flavoured thin biscuits?#Potata pic.twitter.com/A0Hc1VC2o7
— Anoop Srinivas Bhat?? (@Anoopsri) September 16, 2020
In another post, Ravi Sethia posted that: “Have tried #Potata but never knew that it came from the other side of the border, from the makers of popular bottled Litchi juice, amazed to know @PranFood employs 1L people Great stuff.”
Have tried #Potata but never knew that it came from the other side of the border, from the makers of popular bottled Litchi juice , amazed to know @PranFood employs 1L people
— Ravi Sethia (@_sethia) June 14, 2021
Great stuff. ?
Is the craze same like Gery biscuits?
#ConsumerInsights #ProductInsights #KnowYourFood https://t.co/R6ssGxhazr
Nikhil Chopra tweets: “Here goes the customary #Potata #SpicyBiscuit tweet . Worth every minute of wait and every Paise spent as an additional Shipping charge to @amazonIN”
Here goes the customary #Potata #SpicyBiscuit tweet . Worth every minute of wait and every Paise spent as an additional Shipping charge to @amazonIN . pic.twitter.com/nhsRrn4oAA
— Nikhil (mask up)??? (@nikhilchopra) April 20, 2021
And Suparna Sharma @SuparnaSharma at her twitter with an image of Potata spicy biscuit said, “OMG!!
OMG!!
— Suparna Sharma (@SuparnaSharma) April 12, 2021
It's true. These spicy-sweet wafer-thin biscuits are amazing. #Potata
Have to grudgingly say that I got to know about them courtesy @chhabs pic.twitter.com/rlYgFTEgdt
It's true. These spicy-sweet wafer-thin biscuits are amazing. #Potata Have to grudgingly say that I got to know about them courtesy @chhabs”
A Business journalist, Sohini in her verified Twitter profile writes: “Loved reading this piece by @Shrabonti on the #Potata biscuit which became India's lockdown favourite. Its maker @PranFood was founded in 1981 (10 years after Bangladesh Liberation War) by a retired major general of the Flag of Bangladesh army. Fascinating!” after the biscuit was featured in an article on Livemint.
Loved reading this piece by @Shrabonti on the #Potata biscuit which became India's lockdown favourite. Its maker @PranFood was founded in 1981 (10 years after Bangladesh Liberation War) by a retired major general of the ?? army. Fascinating! https://t.co/BJ9XPrbyus
— Sohini (@Mittermaniac) June 13, 2021
So how did this unique flavor come about? Ahsan Khan Chowdhury, chairman and CEO of the Pran-RFL Group tells Livemint that Potata, was inspired by a snack he had while travelling in China—a biscuit that tasted like a potato wafer.
“Back in Bangladesh, he asked his food scientists to reverse-engineer it, adding potato flakes, potato paste and tapioca starch along with other flavours and flavour enhancers to wheat flour to make the crispy wafer-thin biscuits that look like evenly sliced potato chips.”
According to Pran, the company exports 50 tons of Potata every month to India alone.
“We are proud that our works paid off, thanks to consumers, media and associate peoples. We are currently exporting 50 tons per month,” said Kamruzzaman Kamal, director of Marketing, Pran-RFL Group, said.
“Ready to cook and packaged food has a huge demand in North American and other countries. Non-resident Bangladeshi’s have a huge demand for Pran products abroad.”
Which Pran does cater to. The company currently exports around 200 brands in 10 different categories to over 400 million consumers in 110 countries, according to their website.
They began exporting in 1997, to France. The first ever Pran products to reach foreign land were canned sliced pineapples and puffed rice.
