South Korea's Tissue Bread Stirs Comparison With Indian Rumali Roti

Korean culture continues to captivate global audiences, extending its influence into India through K-pop, television dramas, and a shared love for distinctive culinary traditions. Among these cultural crossovers, the recent fascination with South Korea's Tissue Bread highlights surprising parallels with India's own Rumali Roti, sparking lively discussions among netizens.

Tissue bread 

Originating from Truffle Bakery in Seoul's Hannam-dong, Tissue Bread has gained viral fame for its incredibly thin layers. When baked, these layers combine to form a loaf that peels into delicate slices, reminiscent of the layers of a French croissant. The bread's unique texture results from a meticulous lamination process, where dough is folded with layers of French butter, giving it a rich flavor and flaky texture. This technique, while novel in its own right in Korea, echoes a familiar culinary art halfway across the world in India.

Rumali roti 

In contrast, Rumali Roti is a staple in Indian cuisine, particularly in the North. Known for its paper-thin consistency, Rumali Roti gets its name from 'rumal', the Hindi word for handkerchief, indicative of its soft, foldable nature. This bread, dating back to the Mughal era, not only served as a meal accompaniment but also played a unique role in royal dining traditions, where it was used to sop up excess oil from foods or even as a makeshift napkin.

Like tissue bread, rumali roti requires expert skill to prepare. It is traditionally cooked on an inverted kadhai (wok), achieving its signature delicate texture that can challenge even the most skilled chefs. The craft of making Rumali Roti is thus regarded not just as cooking, but as an art form, cherished and perpetuated through generations.

Battle for popularity

While tissue bread and rumali roti originate from vastly different cultures and culinary practices, the online response to Truffle Bakery’s product highlights a shared appreciation for fine, skillfully crafted breads. Despite some practical concerns voiced online about the feasibility of handling such thin bread slices, the popularity of tissue bread persists, with loaves often selling out by early afternoon.

This viral trend underscores not only the innovative approaches to traditional baking seen in South Korea but also ignites conversations about the unexpected commonalities between Korean and Indian culinary arts.