Pickling Tales

As I was walking through the supermarket the other day, in an otherwise mundane and rather blasé sort of day, with a mounting list of ‘to-do’s’ heaping up in my flustered mind, a sudden whiff of air infused with the syrupy aroma of fresh, juicy mangoes stopped me in my tracks, transfixed for no other smell inspires so much joy and awaken as many memories. Even now when I close my eyes, I can imagine my grandmother sitting on her charpaee in her courtyard- one foot nestled under her and the other dangling to the floor, her sari’s pallu meticulously tucked in place, cleaning, drying and cutting a whole bucketful of raw mangoes with such painstaking precision of size and studying their ‘readiness to pickle’. It was like watching a science project come to life- this much oil, and that much spice with just so much sunlight! Even the containers had to be of a special kind that ensured the mangoes pickled well. Pickle making could be an art, who would have guessed! And they came with very clear “do not touch until ready” instructions. But as Adam and Eve, we sinned too- the forbidden fruit was often sneaked up on, squeamishly opened, clandestinely tasted and cleverly capped back on! When lady luck smiled, some was smuggled out too!

Known by various names across the country – Uppinakaayi in Kannada, Pachadi in Telugu, Urukai in Tamil, Uppillittuthu in Malayalam, Loncha in Marathi, Athanu in Gujarati and Āchār in Hindi, India’s glorious affair with this lip smacking, mouthful of tartness has been long and strong. And something so irresistible was destined to travel far and wide- the Mesopotamians on their way back from India took with them cucumbers, native to India, brining and preserving them. Pickle making has been around for over 4000 years- it even has a mention in the Bible.

Fermented and pickled in salt or sugar, fruits and vegetables lasted much longer in times when refrigeration and canning were not luxuries as we know them today. This technique proved to be an effective way of saving food for a rainy day in areas and seasons where fresh produce was hard to come by. It is no wonder that every country in the world has its own version of the pickle- South Korea has kimchi made of cabbage and other vegetables, a dish quite popular around the world now, Germany gave us the sauerkraut, and pickled herrings are quite the delicacy in the Nordic countries. I’m sure travelers on long sea voyages with no access to fresh food at their whims swore by the piquant play of spices on their palate! It is also believed that Cleopatra, the epitome of beauty attributed her good looks to these very pickles. Surely, these are reasons sufficient to coax a non-believer to try them once at least!

And thus continued, a process that has been used not only on fruits and vegetables, but also on meats and fishes. North East India boasts of comprehensive recipes used for pickling pork, Parsis for pickling Bombay Duck and prawns, while Kerala and Karnataka have been using wild boar and beef for brining for years.

It will probably be an effort in vain to find a home that does not revel in the sweet and tangy smell of this delicacy, carefully crafted and mastered by the dexterous hands and discerning eyes of its creator. A dish that always magically stirs up the fondest memories from my childhood, a dish that takes my taste buds on a roller coaster ride.

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