From guests that arrived at home as a surprise, to late-night snacks at sleepovers and eventually to impromptu house parties, we’ve, at least once in our lives had to do ‘jugaad’ with snacks and sweets that we sneaked in the house from the nearby shop, or if your mom always expected guests, rushed to the cabinet (that was off-limits to you other-wise) to build a tray of goodies for your guests.
That tray of goodies was not the usual trail-mix of snacks that we’d like to gorge on as teens, but was usually a well thought out array to almost showcase the quality of food you would eat everyday - to the guest. (Much like the special cutlery you’d get out for the guests)
And this has stuck with us as we grew into adulthood. While the concept of party snacks came from the West, growing up with chips and dips, and instant foods, in multiple parties and get-togethers, we found our way around the concept to bring out an Indian take on it. With the incredible fusion of tradition and convenience, we found our way through years of experimenting, of making mini versions of our most loved foods and make them stick as party staples.
Read More
As adults we all want to go back to the simpler times, when coming home from school would mean piping hot lunch, a picnic out in the park meant finger sandwiches, a guests arrival would mean a glimpse of the best snacks in the house (See ‘An Indian Take on Party Snacks’) and our relatives return from abroad would mean a chance to taste flavours from the world.
While our childhood was also met with disappointment, when the biscuit tin held sewing supplies, when the local gola seller did not have your favourite flavour, or the chai-wala did not have the biscuit you always bought, with the onset of consumerism in the 90’s, we could always count on our favourite food brands to make us happy. While home-made food in our tiffins at school always was perfect (only if it wasn’t bhindi), the snacks that accompanied were a hit, and a sense of pride that elicited jealousy and led to barters.
(Source: TOI)
Read More
Pickle, comes from a Dutch word pickel which means brine, while Achaar supposedly has its roots in Persian, meaning powdered or salted meat, fruits, preserved in salt, vinegar or syrup.
The Humble beginnings... (source: new york food museum)
Archaeologists and anthropologists believe that pickling started way back in 2400BC in the Mesopotamian civilization.
A couple of centuries later our very own Kheera (cucumber) made its way up the ranks and was started to be pickled in the Tigris valley.
Saviour (Savoury) in Long Voyages!
In the Age of Exploration, long voyages were common, and so was a crisis of food and sea-sick diseases such as Scurvy (a Vitamin C deficiency disorder).
During his journey to the New World, pickles were rationed by Christopher Columbus for his sailors. So crucial was this Achaar for the trip, that he even went to the extent of growing cucumber in Haiti, to restock his supply of pickle for the trip ahead.
Read More