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Ancy K Sunny
Ancy K Sunny

MOBILE OS

What will the next Android be called?

Android N was officially christened 'Nougat' in 2016, much to the disappointment of many who would have rather named it after the chocolate hazelnut spread Nutella, or even the New York cheesecake. And if Indians had their way, Android N would have been called Neyyappam. Nougat is the first Android operating system that was opened to fan participation for its naming. Google announced a contest in May 2016, requesting people across the world to suggest names of sugary treats starting with the letter N. Google has stuck to the tradition of dessert-centric names in the alphabetical order for its OS, starting from Cupcake.

This year, too, Google is expected to follow this tradition for the next version of its OS, Android O. Naming Nougat would have been a delectable ride, but Google could be faced with the greatest dilemma this year—finding the right sweet treat that starts with O. It might sound too early to start predicting, but considering the dearth of sugary treats that begin with O, here's a look at a few we think could make it to the list of contenders. Who knows, this year, too, Google might throw the court open to fans. This is a good time to start thinking.

Ontbijtkoek

spice-bread

Literally translated as breakfast cake, Ontbijtkoek is a Dutch spice bread. Served with a generous spread of butter, this is traditionally eaten at breakfast, and sometimes even fits in as a teatime snack. The light-brown coloured, heavily fragrant sweet bread is spiced up with cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, pepper and cardamom. The brown colour comes from its key ingredient, rye. With explorers bringing varieties of herbs and spices to Europe, bakers started experimenting with different ingredients. Now, about a hundred variations of Ontbijtkoek is available in the Netherlands. 

Ox-tongue pastry

ox-tongue

It is nothing remotely close to what you are thinking; no ox-tongues go into the recipe. Ox-tongue pastry, or Chinese doughnut, is a fried sweet whose elliptical shape resembles an ox tongue. With a soft crust on the outside, and chewy on the inside, like other doughnut cousins, ox-tongue pastry is generally served with soy milk for breakfast.

Oliebol

oliebol

These delectable sweet fried balls are the Dutch version of doughnuts, traditionally prepared on New Year's eve. Even otherwise, these are found at oliebol street stalls in the cold months of November and December and are also a favourite at funfairs. The dumplings are made from dough—a combination of flour, eggs and milk—enriched with dried yeast, with a mix of currants, raisins and finely chopped apples. These balls are then deep fried, drained, and dusted generously with icing sugar which lends oliebol its sweetness. Legend has it that these fried balls were eaten by Germanic tribes in the Netherlands during Yule—between December 26 and January 6. German goddess Perchta would fly around in the mid-winter sky, slitting open the bellies of all she came across. It is believed those who had eaten oliebol would escape because her sword would slide off their belly due to the fat and oil from the oliebol in their tummies!

Opera cake

opera-cake

 A classic from the cake connoisseurs of France, this is a sophisticated, layered cake. The delicacy is made of three layers of almond sponge cake, known as joconde in French, each soaked in coffee syrup and layered with coffee butter cream and chocolate ganache. The top is covered with a thick, dark layer of chocolate icing. When renowned French pastry chef Cyriaque Gavillon started working on the cake in 1955, he wished for one thing—one bite into the cake should give a taste of all the intense flavours that have gone into it. And so he meticulously designed the cakes, layer by layer. Looking at his creation, his wife said it reminded her of the Paris Opera House, and hence the name Opera cake. 

Ozark pudding

ozark-pudding

This pudding-like cake with a thin top crust and gooey filling has its humble origins in the Ozark mountain region in Missouri. The fruity treat, made from apples or pears, and crunchy pecans (brown-coloured nuts similar to walnuts, native to Mexico and North America) rose to fame as US president Harry Truman's favourite dessert and when his wife Bess Truman made a version of the pudding for guests at the White House. The apples and the pecans, mixed with vanilla extract, hold the dough together, making it a delectable combination of textures and flavours. Serve a slice with some whipped cream topping. 

Oatmeal cookie

oatmeal-cookie

Wait, what? Is that even a dessert? This baked, chewy delicacy with raisins does, however, look like the perfect contender. These soft cookies are loaded with oats and dried fruits, with nuts, and even chocolate chips added for a crunch. 

Oreo

oreo

It may not officially classify under 'dessert', but this sandwich cookie that has gone much beyond the average cream-filled 'cookie', surely fits in. These days, there is no end to dessert recipes—cakes, cheesecakes, ice creams and truffles—that use Oreo as their star ingredient. Naming Android O Oreo would require Google to enter a commercial tie-up with Nabisco, as it did with Nestle for Android 4.4 KitKat. If they pull it off, you could probably spot the green Android mascot on Oreo's packaging, or even Android-shaped Oreos. How cool would that be.

Obbattu

holige

 Considering the fanfare around India's Android N nominee Neyyappam, the sweet, fried snack from Kerala, how can we not consider an Indian contender this year, too? Moreover, Obbattu, sounds like a cute, easy to pronounce name for an Android OS, doesn't it? A sweet flat bread popular in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Maharasthra, Obbattu is also known as Holige (Karnataka) and Puran Poli (Maharashtra). The golden-yellow flat bread is made from flour, chana dal, jaggery, ghee, nutmeg and cardamom powder. Traditionally prepared on festivals like Ugadi and Diwali, the ingredients, mode of preparation, and size vary according to the states. 

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The Week

Topics : #Android | #food

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