To anyone who spent their childhood in India in the 1990s, the mention of a few names, Phantom Sweet Cigarettes, Poppins, Little Hearts, Frooti, Rasna, Boomer, Mango Bite, Chatmola, and bright-colored "churan" sticks, can bring in a flood of childhood memories. These weren't mere snacks; they were playground barter tokens, the highlight of many a lunch break, and at times even the cause of mischief (whoever pretended to be a Bollywood villain with a Phantom cigarette between their fingers?). In the school corridors and playgrounds, these treats were not just consumed but experienced, relished, and remembered. Flash forward three decades, and these very same treats are making a remarkable comeback, this time clad in new packaging and with a new cultural cool that spans generations.
The '90s Indian snackscape had a secret language of its own. A shiny mango-yellow Aam Pachak, the sour tartness of Chatmola, the technicolour colours of Poppins, and the unmistakable sweetness of a Parle-G biscuit dunked in chai, each with a history attached. Most of these snacks were very cheap, costing a rupee or two and purchased from neighbourhood kirana shops or roadside stalls. They cut across socioeconomic lines and entered common national consciousness, characterised by their pungent flavours, zany containers, and innocent delight.
But under the glossy wrappers was something more profound: snacks in this era represented a bygone era. There were no mobile phones, barely any TV channels, and certainly no food ordering apps. Snacks were a concrete delight amidst a world full of outdoor games, hand-written correspondence, and Doordarshan serials. They whisked you away instantly to a lighthearted epoch, an India swinging between tradition and the exploratory paces of globalisation.
Why 90s Snack Nostalgia?
Nostalgia is now a potent currency. In an algorithm-driven era of ceaseless new products and an accelerated way of life, people find themselves naturally gravitating toward the known. It is particularly acute among millennials and Gen Z, many of whom view the 90s as an idyllic age of innocence and imagination. Brands, advertisers, and even small-time business people have detected this shared yearning for the past and are serving it up, quite literally, in crinkly, brightly reimagined wrapping. The appeal is more than sentiment. The revival of 90s snacks draws on a much broader socio-cultural trend. The reinstatement of these nostalgic foods complements the global phenomenon of "retro revival," whereby everything from clothing to music to cuisine is brought back with a modern spin. The emotional pull tied to these foods is usually greater than any new-fangled culinary development, as each flavour can trigger rich personal recollections and anecdotes.
Step into a modern supermarket or browse online speciality retailers, and you’ll notice how these 90s snacks have been rebooted with eye-catching new packaging, transforming them into hip, “Instagrammable” products. The red-and-white Phantom Sweet Cigarettes still promise retro mischief, but now they come in sturdy, resealable packs. Little Hearts, introduced even longer ago, have been revamped in travel-sized packs, with chocolate and berry flavours to entice the next generation. Rasna is no longer an orange powder in sachets, but as ready-to-drink bottles and healthy varieties.
It's not only convenience and health trends that are turning things around. The act of rethinking the packaging alone has the ability to transform the product from a budget childhood treat to a prized contemporary snack, one that can be given as a gift, showcased on a coffee table, or devoured on the street by busy young urbanites. Along the way, brands are able to preserve the spirit of nostalgia while adapting the snack to appeal to today's consumers, many of whom long for memories in addition to taste.
India's snacking culture has changed overnight compared to the 90s. With increased urbanisation, double-income families, and busy lifestyles, convenience is paramount. The pandemic also accelerated the move towards packaged food, with people becoming more health-conscious with regard to hygiene and food safety. The snacking sector reacted by presenting nostalgic 90s snacks in a hygienic, attractive form, making them appealing to today's consumers seeking taste and trust.
Snacking in the modern era is no longer just about a hunger buster in between meals, but about recalling memories, passing on cultures between generations, and even engaging in fun nostalgia-fueled trends in social media. "Unboxing" a tin of Poppins, unwrapping an unwrap of Melody, or peeling open a roll of Mango Bite is now an eye-event, recorded for Instagram reels and WhatsApp forwards.
This new trend isn't merely old snacks in new packages, but rather "coolifying" nostalgia itself. Young Indian businessmen and internet-native snack companies are introducing carefully curated hampers of retro sweets, "retro-chic" themed gift boxes for weddings or corporate functions, and even subscription clubs that send a monthly fix of bygone treats. Internet retailers such as Candywala and vintage-style pop-ups have made it convenient for NRI Indians and city residents alike to relish (or present) these morsels of childhood, no matter where they are.
This trend is more than just a marketing phenomenon; it taps into nostalgia for the reassuring tastes of the past, particularly during an era when all else seems uncertain and in flux. Snacks infused with nostalgia serve as edible time machines, connecting childhood days at school with office hours, and playground naivety with adult responsibilities.
While most of the '90s snack nostalgia rests on the foundations of sugar, food colour, tartness, and crunch, the health-conscious population of today is also making its presence felt in the market. New-age brands have, after borrowing the flavours and shape of these classic treats, wedded them to modern food trends, think millet chips that remind one of the classic masala crunch, or churan candies crafted with natural, preservative-free materials. Flavours have gone around the globe and come back, as well. You’ll find peri-peri masala on French fries, tandoori nachos, and fusion snacks that combine global formats with classic Indian tastes. Traditional snacks like samosas, pakoras, and dhokla, past mainstays of childhood parties, are now packaged snack-sized or baked rather than fried, ready to eat at cinema halls or from vending machines. Even traditional beverages such as Frooti or Rooh Afza are now available in contemporary versions, backed by novelty as well as nostalgia.
Although much of the rebranding has been targeted at millennials and Gen Z, the revival has gained popularity among all generations. For kids, these treats are fun novelties, a bright respite from the homogenised international brands that fill shelves. For grandparents and parents, a Phantom Sweet Cigarette or roll of Poppins is a connection back to their youth, a treat that can be shared, along with a tale.
The ubiquity of #90sSnacks or #ChildhoodFavorites on social media websites full of photos, memes, and even ASMR unboxing videos indicates a larger cultural reach. In a digitally disjointed world, these humble snacks evoke memories, initiate conversations, and coalesce people. They link the local (store down the street) with the global (NRI nostalgia), the personal ("my favourite was Mango Bite") with the communal ("everyone liked Melody").
As the revolution in snacking keeps unfolding, market observers think this trend will keep going strong. 90s treats are not a fad: they represent the strength of taste to bring back and reinterpret culture. Brands will most certainly continue to remake, re-imagine, and re-launch childhood treats as limited series, fusion flavours, or upgraded versions, satisfying not only demand but emotion.
Packaging innovation is merely the beginning. In the years to come, we could potentially experience even greater immersive experiences, pop-up nostalgia snack counters, "sweet memory" tasting menus, and VR-based snack stores for NRI consumers. The future of snacking in India will continue to be a tasty blend of the old and new: a cultural dialogue that's best discussed, as always, over a shared packet of Poppins. So the next time you unwrap that package of Chatmola or hand a roll of Mango Bite over to a friend, take a minute. You're not merely sharing a snack, you're re-experiencing a little of India's common past, carried in a shiny, new, crinkly package, seasoned with the eternal enchantment of recollection.