Morning arrives slowly over Dal Lake. A thin mist lifts from the water as wooden shikara boats pass by after the downpour. Along Boulevard Road, shutters rise one by one, vendors sweep their shopfronts, and the city eases gently into the day.
Inside a small lakeside bakery, trays of croissants emerge from the oven; golden and delicate, their buttery layers crackling gently as they cool. Rows of pains au chocolat, fruit tarts and glazed pastries line a glass counter. At first glance, it could be anywhere in France. Yet this is Kashmir, a Himalayan valley often associated with stunning scenery and political complexities rather than with layered dough.
However, Kashmir has a long and rich culinary tradition, particularly when it comes to bread. Perhaps that is why something as foreign as a croissant can, eventually, find its place here.
Bread as an Everyday Ritual
Bread shapes daily life in Kashmir, although it is distinctly different from the boulangerie tradition of France. In the early hours, queues form outside neighbourhood bakeries – known locally as ‘‘kandur waans’’ – traditional, often wood-fired community ovens where people gather to grab bread hot from the tandoor. Conversations unfold as naturally as transactions; news is exchanged, and routines are reaffirmed. This culture stretches back centuries.
Srinagar-based historian Sameer Hamdani, author of City of Kashmir, traces the roots of Kashmir’s baking traditions back to at least the 14th century, when tandoor-based bread-making became widespread. By the 19th century, bakers were firmly embedded in the social fabric of Srinagar, producing breads such as girda and lavasa, which are still eaten for breakfast daily.
“Kashmir’s bread culture reflects a vibrant exchange, with urban consumption supported by rural craftsmanship, “ says Mr Hamdani.
It is into this world, where bread is daily, essential, and deeply familiar, that Saqib Mir returned in 2014 with an ambitious vision: to introduce the techniques and discipline of French patisserie to Srinagar.
Kashmir to France and Back
Fifteen kilometres from Boulevard Road towards Khonmoh, at the base of the Zabarwan Hills, away from the hustle and bustle of the lakeside, sits Le Délice’s main kitchen. Upstairs, I met Saqib Mir, 43, in his office—a quiet space stacked with confectionery manuals and French pastry books.
Mir grew up in Srinagar, in a city where bread shapes everyday memory. “My grandfather used to pick us up from school,” he recalls. “I’ll ask him to stop at the bakery so we can buy cream rolls.” A small ritual, but one that stayed.
At the age of 19, Mir moved to France. Over the course of a decade, he trained in classical patisserie, a culinary tradition recognised by UNESCO as part of France’s intangible cultural heritage. He earned a diploma and worked in a professional kitchen where precision controls everything: temperature, time and repetition, shaping each layer of dough.
“Pastry is like chemistry. Everything must be precise,” says Saqib Mir. During his years in France, he met his wife Melanie, and together they shared their life and their dream of bringing French patisserie back to Kashmir.
Rebuilding Le Délice
In the heart of Srinagar, along Boulevard Road, with the Zabarwan Hills in the background, lies the French bakery, Le Délice, which Mir opened in 2014. That same year, devastating floods, among the worst the region had seen in decades, swept through Srinagar. The water destroyed his equipment, halting operations before they could truly begin.
In 2015, Mir began rebuilding, adapting French pastries to Kashmir, which was just the beginning, as it proved difficult to source high-quality butter. Frequent power cuts affected production, and there was no trained workforce familiar with French techniques.
“Everything had to be reconfigured: recipes were recreated, processes were improved, staff were trained from scratch,” says Mir.
Even the taste takes time. “People here were used to milk chocolate,” he adds. “The slightly bitter taste of dark chocolate was unfamiliar.” At first, there was hesitation, then curiosity and gradually acceptance.
More than a Bakery
Today, Le Délice has become one of Srinagar’s most distinctive culinary destinations, with multiple outlets across the city, but beyond its pastries, it has become something more than a training ground, a place for women aspiring to make confections in particular. “It’s a core part of my mission,” says Mir.
Over the years, he has trained more than 350 young Kashmiris in French baking techniques. Many have gone on to work in cafés or start businesses of their own.
Among them is Suriya Akbar, 21, from north Kashmir, who joined the bakery after studying confectionery in Srinagar. “I have learned a lot here – different cakes, pastries, creams, everything,” she says. After two years, she is planning her next step. “I want to start something of my own in my hometown.”
In a region where opportunities are uncertain, this bakery offers something tangible: a skill, a path, a possibility.
Back on the kitchen floor, Mir leads his team as trays of cakes and pastries take shape, demonstrating the technique himself, adjusting, refining and repeating, bringing the discipline learned in France into a distinctly Kashmiri setting.
Resilience in Every Oven
Running a business in Kashmir requires flexibility. In 2019, the abrogation of Article 370, which ended the region’s semi-autonomous status, led to prolonged shutdowns and a near-total communications blackout, disrupting daily life, says Mir. “Many times, I felt like giving up.”
At times, he and his family returned to France temporarily.
But the bakery endured. “What kept me going was the support of our people,” he says. “I would receive messages telling me when we would reopen.” Gradually, the shutters were raised again, the staff returned, and customers began to follow once again. Every morning, croissants rose in the oven.
A Bridge of Flour and Butter
The influence of European cuisine is not entirely new to Kashmir. During the Dogra period (1846-1947). British officials and European travellers introduced elements of high tea culture. Mughal gardens hosted vast gatherings with pastries and baked goods unfamiliar to local traditions. By the early 20th century, modern bakeries began to appear in Kashmir, such as the Ahdoos and The Nedous Hotel, which developed its own traditions and sometimes sent staff abroad for training.
French pastries found a natural audience in a place where bread and sweets already have deep cultural significance. “There’s already such a rich bakery culture here,” says Hamdani. “Every household eats bread every day.”
As in France, where neighbourhood boulangerie shapes everyday life, bakeries in Kashmir are ingrained in routine, freshness, and familiarity. Over the past decade, Srinagar has seen a surge in cafe culture, which is part of a broader shift in many cities across South Asia, where younger generations embrace global flavours.
“It’s growing rapidly,” Mir says.
At Le Délice, customers who were once reluctant now readily embrace croissants, éclairs and fruit tarts. In 2018, then-French Ambassador Alexandre Ziegler visited the bakery, a symbolic moment of this silent exchange but real dialogue unfolding daily behind the counters and inside the kitchen.
For regular customer Gulzar Ahmed, the shift is clear.
“It was the first place to offer such high-quality French croissants and pastries. There’s always something new to try.”
As evening settles over Dal Lake, the bakery grows silent, trays empty, ovens cold, the shikara stops. By morning, it will start again. A place where bread has long shaped daily life, something new has taken root — not as a foreign presence, but as a natural extension of an emerging story.
From Paris to Srinagar, the journey continues – a quiet exchange in butter, flour and time.
Srinagar Essentials
Getting There: Fly to Srinagar International Airport via Delhi or Mumbai; Boulevard Road is 30–40 minutes by taxi.
Where to stay: Dal Lake shores – houseboats or hotels with scenic views.
Where to Eat: Le Délice for French pastries and local restaurants for wazwan, a must-try
When to Go: Spring (Apr–Jun) or Autumn (Sep–Oct); winters are cold.
Don’t Miss: Morning Shikara ride, the Mughal Gardens and a tour of the historic old city.
Kashmir Bread Guide
Girda: Soft, everyday bread baked in a wood-fired clay oven, eaten with butter and jam, and served with noon chai (salted pink tea).
Lavasa: Thin, elastic flatbread served with tea or meals.
Telvor (Tschochwor): Ring-shaped sesame bread, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, enjoyed with noon chai.
Baqerkhani: A rich, flaky layered bread made with butter, reserved for weddings and special occasions.
Kulcha: A dense, sesame-topped bread with a long shelf life, typically prepared for festivities and served with evening tea.
About the Contributors
Ishtayaq Rasool is a freelance journalist from the Dard-Shin tribe in Kashmir. His work explores the intersection of local traditions, food, indigenous culture, and global influences, with bylines in Songlines, The Great Outdoors, Travel + Leisure, Outlook Traveller, Eastside Asia, BBC, and The Wire. He was previously a visual producer at Hindustan Times, New Delhi. Instagram: ishtayaqrasool
Aakash Gulzar is a documentary photographer based in Kashmir and an alumnus of the VII Foundation. His work has been published in VII Academy, Ian Parry Grant, Earth Partner, Der Greif, Perimetro, Outlook Traveller, and others. Instagram: aakashgulzar
Lead photo credit : Photo: Aakash Gulzar ©
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