Bread & Beethoven—the music bread trucks of Sri Lanka

The music of Ludwig Van Beethoven can evoke many feelings, but has it ever made you think of food? If you are from Sri Lanka then chances are that it has. Sri Lanka’s choon pan trucks, which translates to music bread trucks (in Sinhala) are making a comeback, and so is nostalgia.
For many Sri Lanka’s Beethoven’s classic musical piece, Für Elise was the call to a world of delicious breads. The buttery home baked buns were delicious treats for many during those days when the choon pan vendors drove through the streets. The trucks would start early, at 6:30 AM, and would make two trips during the day. Morning breads included fish buns, and sausage rolls, while in the evenings, it was time for sweet buns with tea.

Beethoven’s Für Elise, which is fondly referred to as simply the choon pan music by Sri Lankans, perchance came into existence. During the early days of selling baked breads through neighbourhoods, the vendors would simply play their mobile phone ringtones through speakers as an alert. So residents would know that the truck is here. Incidentally, during those early days of mobile phones, Für Elise was one of the most popular ringtones in most phones. Thus, it so happened that the iconic music became the soundtrack of bread.

The iconic choon pan trucks met a sorry ending when the former government of Sri Lanka decided to ban loud music from mobile bakeries. Yes, there were trucks that went around the streets, but sans the music. It was not a musical bread any longer, just plain home baked bread. Then, thanks to urbanisation, and the cafe culture that hit most cities across the globe, the humble choon pan trucks began to feel brunt. But now, the choon pan man is back because of the Coronavirus lockdown.

Padmini Mrasinghe, a Colombo based baker has brought the truck back on the streets, tagged as an essential service. She operates the bakery from a mini lorry, and yes, Beethoven’s Für Elise plays loud, to let everyone know that the delightful baked breads are back.