Ahmedabad: Nothing says home like the taste of kulfi—even at 30,000 feet over Europe. This summer, Gujaratis are packing more than passports for their trips abroad—they’re taking freeze-dried ice cream, basundi, and even aam rasalong for the ride.The trend is taking off—literally and figuratively—as a thriving micro-industry in Gujarat. With international travel rising every year—be it tourists or parents visiting their kids—and many families adhering to strict vegetarian or Jain diets, freeze-dried Indian ice creams are now emerging as the new must-pack essentials. Industry insiders say that demand for freeze-dried ice cream alone soared to 400–500 kg a day, supplied by over 40 units across the state.“We handle mostly Jain and Swaminarayan travellers who strictly avoid foreign ice creams fearing they may contain eggs or other non-vegetarian ingredients,” said Smita Modi, a travel agent. “Now, we provide freeze-dried ice cream with their travel packs. For a single tour, we send up to 100 kg! It’s cost-effective and hassle-free.”Harshil Patel, who runs a freeze-dried food facility, said, “In the past three years, ready-to-eat food exploded in popularity. This year, ice cream became a star. We flash-freeze it at -30°C, dry it slowly over 9 hours at 50°C, and end up with a crunchy, wafer-like cube which turns into fresh ice cream when mixed with water or milk and frozen.” Patel’s unit processes 650 kg of food daily, with about 15% now devoted to frozen desserts. Supermarkets, snack shops, and tour operators are snapping up supplies.”People abroad can now enjoy home food without worrying about spoilage. Our biggest clients are travel agents and caterers,” says Samir Avadiya, another processor.Viral Modi, who owns a popular food store in Ahmedabad, says it’s not just tourists. “Parents come in with home-cooked food to get it dried before sending it to their kids overseas. Ice cream demand spiked, but we also do mango ras, gajar halwa—even handvo!”And it’s not just food makers riding the wave. Machinery manufacturers are seeing booming orders too. “There are now more than 40 freeze-drying units in Gujarat—and growing,” said Chandrakant Patel, who supplies equipment to the industry. For Gujaratis, wherever they go, the taste of home follows—crispy, cool, and ready to eat.
