Ahead of Good Friday, we trace Chennai’s history with hot cross buns

Hero of the famed nursery rhyme, part of Passion week lore... In Chennai, the hot cross bun is flavoured by Anglo-Indian, Vietnamese and English recipes

“The van used to draw up just around 11 in the morning, when the Stations of the Cross gave over,” reminisces Jean Joseph, who lived in the Anglo-Indian stronghold of Foxen Street, Perambur, for decades. “Squidgy, soft buns were offloaded in trays, wrapped in butter paper and distributed to everyone in church. I remember it being warm in my hands as we carried it home to break the Good Friday fast,” she adds, wistfully. Foxen Street holds out as one of the last bastions of the fast vanishing world of Anglo-India, and for years has risen and slept under the warm blanket of comfort that the aroma of baking exuded from stellar bakeries such as Ajantha and Coronation.