The Case for "Chicken Cookies"
Buttery, salty, and never boring.
Chai time in South Asia is a misnomer. Sure, there’s chai — but it’s also prime Tupperware rummaging hour: spiced nuts, Parle-Gs, and a whole genre of savory, sometimes spicy baked goods. Think cumin-studded rusk, Britannia 50-50s that swing between sweet and salty, and khara biscuits shot through with curry leaf.
When I moved to the U.S. in 2016, I found myself underwhelmed by the savory snack landscape. Chips, crackers, and pretzels did the job, but where was the crunch with character?
I desperately turned to Cheez-Its, Goldfish, and a handful of brands selling savory shortbread online. After a little sleuthing, I found Talkback Snacks, which makes a mole-inspired shortbread punctuated with ancho chile and cacao, as well as an Indian version specked with ginger and green chile. Then there’s Provisions Fine Foods’ blue cheese and fig rendition that’s scratched my savory shortbread itch since I discovered it a few years ago.
Eventually, though, I craved even more variety. So I took snack time into my own hands. And over the past year, I’ve come to realize that baking savory shortbread is shockingly simple — an endlessly customizable Rubik’s Cube of umami that’s helped me knead my way back to the chai times of yore.
