"Paal ice, cup ice, cone ice" - the voice sounded loud and grave. In that scorching heat of April when schools remain closed for summer the iceman is strolling his ice cart and selling the morning made ice creams rather I would say "popsicles". Kids in the streets are playing outdoors not too responsive of that sultry heat. Hearing the bell and voice of the iceman they run to their respective homes to get coins (yes just coins). "Give me a rose milk ice", "give me paal (milk) ice", "give me orange ice", the kids asking for their choice of ice cream handing 25 paise to the ice cream man. Some are still contemplating over what to pick waiting to see what kajana (treasure) he has. He slowly opens his crate and takes out one by one those popsicle and hands off to the kids. His price for cup ice (ice cream cup or cone) is at the max one rupee. All kids got their deal and started enjoying their no plastic wrapped, mildly sweetened popsicles.
This was how most of our childhood days were spent especially those summers. There were no summer camps, no tuition and no extra curricular classes. All we did was play! play! and play! till we all got tired or hungry.
Remember the times when we used to run to a neighborhood anna's (brother) shop and ask for a then mittai (honey chocolate), orange mittai (a naturally flavored candy), murukku etc with no other thoughts in mind. Those shop owners filled their glass jars with such goodies every morning and by evening most of them got emptied. Though sugar was naturally involved we never had cavities or tooth decay. Parents never feared that kids will get fever or catch cold because of infection or poor hygiene though there'll be air of warnings at times but not much. The shop owners just used to hand off these goodies with their bare hands, not using disposable gloves. All wrappings were done with just plain papers that were bio-degradable. Plastics were hardly involved!
Tired of playing, we would run home to eat those steamed panam kizhangu (sprouts of asian palmyra palm tree) or steamed yams, boiled corn or peanuts. Our friends had a regular vendor for panam kizhangu (pictured below), an old lady. She gives the best kizhangu and gives us a piece of advice to eat jaggery after having the kizhangu as these shoots are supposed to increase your "pitha" (reference to ayurveda) and hence the jaggery.
My friend's friend's parents were running a mobile cart stall infront of a high school near our home, in which they sold hot hot spicy peas sundal. The taste of it is incomparable. The usually store the sundal in a glass container covered well so it stays fresh. Indeed at later times I tried recreating this recipe with no big success. I couldn't really get close to that taste. It had a subtle taste of masala and saunf. This couple used to bring their cart in the afternoon and park it in a shade and make their hot sundal waiting for the school bell. By the time the school is empty their cart would have been emptied. If I wanted to buy this sundal (which usually happens almost every weekend) I would usually go early afternoon else I'll have to see the empty cart.
Some snacks like roasted pattani (dried peas), nellikkai (goose berry or amla), elandha pazham (jujubi or bher) and elandha vadai (sweet and spicy jujubi patties), javvu mittai (those stretchy candies which can be made into watches and shapes) all flashes into memory at times. We were surrounded by such traditional snacks those days. What we get now are those boxed, processed snacks rich in trans fats and hydrogenated oils that's been stored for days in plastic bags. Along with snacks our kids taste chemicals too. Study reveals, plastic release dioxin which can cause hormone imbalances leading to early puberty in girls. It is a potential carcinogen and can cause reproductive issues in humans.
Our next generation will never get to experience such a carefree life anymore. Kids are put under pressure to do good, they are racing now leading to all childhood stress, obesity and even diabetes. Environment is polluted. Everywhere it's plastic! plastic! and plastic!. In a tropical country like India all the wastes were usually bio-degradable and became compost that fertilized the lands. This has become a thing of past. We are leaving our great practices and rich culture behind to follow something that cause cause an un-repairable damage. Shouldn't we stop and think what we are feeding to our new generation? Can't we spend that extra minute to make some unprocessed snack for our kids? Afterall they are the pillars of support for the next generation. It is our job to curb use of plastics, recycle/reuse things, eat healthy, feed healthy and stay healthy.
Hope you all got a nice flashback of your childhood days. Enjoy!
This was how most of our childhood days were spent especially those summers. There were no summer camps, no tuition and no extra curricular classes. All we did was play! play! and play! till we all got tired or hungry.
Remember the times when we used to run to a neighborhood anna's (brother) shop and ask for a then mittai (honey chocolate), orange mittai (a naturally flavored candy), murukku etc with no other thoughts in mind. Those shop owners filled their glass jars with such goodies every morning and by evening most of them got emptied. Though sugar was naturally involved we never had cavities or tooth decay. Parents never feared that kids will get fever or catch cold because of infection or poor hygiene though there'll be air of warnings at times but not much. The shop owners just used to hand off these goodies with their bare hands, not using disposable gloves. All wrappings were done with just plain papers that were bio-degradable. Plastics were hardly involved!
Tired of playing, we would run home to eat those steamed panam kizhangu (sprouts of asian palmyra palm tree) or steamed yams, boiled corn or peanuts. Our friends had a regular vendor for panam kizhangu (pictured below), an old lady. She gives the best kizhangu and gives us a piece of advice to eat jaggery after having the kizhangu as these shoots are supposed to increase your "pitha" (reference to ayurveda) and hence the jaggery.
(picture sourced from internet)
My friend's friend's parents were running a mobile cart stall infront of a high school near our home, in which they sold hot hot spicy peas sundal. The taste of it is incomparable. The usually store the sundal in a glass container covered well so it stays fresh. Indeed at later times I tried recreating this recipe with no big success. I couldn't really get close to that taste. It had a subtle taste of masala and saunf. This couple used to bring their cart in the afternoon and park it in a shade and make their hot sundal waiting for the school bell. By the time the school is empty their cart would have been emptied. If I wanted to buy this sundal (which usually happens almost every weekend) I would usually go early afternoon else I'll have to see the empty cart.
Some snacks like roasted pattani (dried peas), nellikkai (goose berry or amla), elandha pazham (jujubi or bher) and elandha vadai (sweet and spicy jujubi patties), javvu mittai (those stretchy candies which can be made into watches and shapes) all flashes into memory at times. We were surrounded by such traditional snacks those days. What we get now are those boxed, processed snacks rich in trans fats and hydrogenated oils that's been stored for days in plastic bags. Along with snacks our kids taste chemicals too. Study reveals, plastic release dioxin which can cause hormone imbalances leading to early puberty in girls. It is a potential carcinogen and can cause reproductive issues in humans.
Our next generation will never get to experience such a carefree life anymore. Kids are put under pressure to do good, they are racing now leading to all childhood stress, obesity and even diabetes. Environment is polluted. Everywhere it's plastic! plastic! and plastic!. In a tropical country like India all the wastes were usually bio-degradable and became compost that fertilized the lands. This has become a thing of past. We are leaving our great practices and rich culture behind to follow something that cause cause an un-repairable damage. Shouldn't we stop and think what we are feeding to our new generation? Can't we spend that extra minute to make some unprocessed snack for our kids? Afterall they are the pillars of support for the next generation. It is our job to curb use of plastics, recycle/reuse things, eat healthy, feed healthy and stay healthy.
Hope you all got a nice flashback of your childhood days. Enjoy!
Well written Uma!!
ReplyDeleteThanks vennela.
DeleteWell written and very nostalgic Uma
ReplyDeleteThis rewound the life 10s of years back and touched my heart. Great write indeed!
ReplyDelete