By Vinod Raghavan*
Muscat: If you thought that ‘papadias‘ are the traditional street food of Farrukhabad, then hold back. Holing up in air-conditioned malls and eateries to beat the scorchy summer sun, both expatriates, as well as sheikhs of this Sultanate, are busy savouring the taste of Papa John’s five newly launched ‘papadias‘. And these ‘papadias’ are not the same that one is used to get back home in Uttar Pradesh’s Farrukhabad!
The American fast food giant’s papadias are actually inspired by the ‘Piadina’ an Italian folded flatbread sandwich from Northern Italy. “It is both a pizza and a sandwich,” revealed Paul Fabre, Senior Vice President of Product Innovation at Papa John’s.
Papa John’s had forayed into India but closed down its restaurants in 2017. It is interesting to note that now Papa John’s is planning to open 650 outlets in India by 2033 and the first of these restaurants will be opened in Bengaluru in 2024.
But to expect its ‘papadias’ to have the Farrukhabad flavour is perhaps a bit too much!
Here in Muscat, on a sunny Saturday weekend, when the sun was lowering in the Arabian Sea, still with its bright radiant orange colour spread on the skyline with a temperature around 30+ degrees in the evening, the top-level team of Papa John’s descended from Qatar, its headquarter, to announce the launch of five new Papadias – Spicy Chicken Ranch Papadia, BBQ Chicken Papadia, Italian Sausage and Pepperoni Papadia, Phily Veggie Papadia and Grilled Buffalo Chicken Papadia – the toasty, satisfying alternative to the usual sandwiches, in all its 24 outlets spread across the Sultanate of Oman.
The months of June-July are known and experienced as the ‘Beautiful Summer’ months in the Sultanate of Oman, where the traditional fruit – Dates- ripe on the trees abundantly under the blazing sun with a temperature touching nearly 50 degrees centigrade. European tourists from cold countries visit the beautiful nation with the main purpose of tanning their fair skin. The expatriates and the national Omanis beat the summer by holing up in shopping malls and eateries with a good ambience. And papadia along with Chocolate Scrolls are the flavour of the season.
A large number of social media influencers including Lybu Mohammed, can be seen cherishing the newly launched Papadias. Even the journalists are not left behind. Ayesha Patel, from the Muscat Daily, Marketing team, though on a diet, couldn’t resist the aroma of papadias and enjoyed bites of the newly launched flavours. However, Jisha Nambiar, of Times of Oman, who came along with her school-going kids, enjoyed the Chocolate Scrolls heartily.
Going by the popularity of papadias, Papa John’s General Manager for Oman and Qatar, Joseph Joseph, announced: “The New Papadias along with all other Pizzas will be offered 50 per cent discount in all our 24 outlets in the Sultanate of Oman till June 21.” And the Omanis are buying it!
*Senior journalist
