Come summer and as we prepare to relish the delicious mangoes. When it comes to pickles, Every home come along with the avakaya jaadi (jaadi is Telugu for jar) in various sizes that store pickles for the entire year. Some homes have jaadis which are more than a decade old. Every year, just before the pickling process begins, the jaadi is washed and sun and air dried thoroughly before the fresh pickle is placed in it. Ceramic pickle jars in white and brown combination for pickle appear in the market around the same time.
It is an art to pick the right jar. The seller will make you hear a sharp clinging by tapping the jars sound to prove there are no cracks and holes in them.
JAADI- A connection to past.
"Everything that is visible seems to have something invisible"
Gone are the days, when mason jars could be spotted on the racks of traditional Indian kitchens. My maternal grandmother used to store oily pickles or homemade jams in them.The joy of scooping out jam or digging into a jar full of your favorite pickle is unmatched and sinful. Cashing on that wave of nostalgia associated with jars, 5-star restaurants have adopted these squat jars to ‘plate’ their top dishes and favorite desserts.
Aside from storing my tamarind pulp in one, I hadn’t set eyes on these in years . What got me even more excited was that they came in various shapes. My favorite was the wavy one that resembled the shape of an old 10 paisa coin. The lids with their tiny round knobs on top just added to the cuteness.
"Everything that is visible seems to have something invisible"
Gone are the days, when mason jars could be spotted on the racks of traditional Indian kitchens. My maternal grandmother used to store oily pickles or homemade jams in them.The joy of scooping out jam or digging into a jar full of your favorite pickle is unmatched and sinful. Cashing on that wave of nostalgia associated with jars, 5-star restaurants have adopted these squat jars to ‘plate’ their top dishes and favorite desserts.
Aside from storing my tamarind pulp in one, I hadn’t set eyes on these in years . What got me even more excited was that they came in various shapes. My favorite was the wavy one that resembled the shape of an old 10 paisa coin. The lids with their tiny round knobs on top just added to the cuteness.
So many memories came rushing out as I admired these containers. The store room at my parents’ home contained huge versions of these jars. They were used for storing grains, pulses and condiments. These jars were not just huge and held a lot, but also had properties that ensured whatever was put in them remained fresh. As families got smaller, these jars were replaced by plastic dabbas. They now nestle together on my rosewood table, filled with pickles that were lovingly handmade by dear friends and family. Wouldn’t it be a pity if they stopped making these traditional jaadis due to a lack of demand? I heard they used to come with fancy handles, dainty ladles and more. I’ve had my eye open for those. To be able to collect more of these earthen beauties would be a dream come true.
