KOCHI: When one thinks of temple festivals and church fairs, the first thing that crosses his or her mind is the savoury items, including 'murukku', pink cotton candy, flavoured ice and tapioca rings, sold by small-scale vendors.
After machine-made snacks took over the food industry, people such as Ammini Shankaran - who has been creating tapioca rings and red and brown 'murukku' for more than 50 years - are fading into oblivion, their snacks expected to bow out of the stage with them.
Ammini's snacks have been a constant presence at temple festivals and church fairs in central Kerala. To perfect the murukku and rings made out of tapioca powder takes a lot of effort and patience.
"Because of the effort and time it takes to create these, not a lot of youngsters are interested in making these traditional snacks. We are probably the only ones who sell these snacks in the area," she says.
Based in Angamaly, Ammini's day begins at 5.30 in the morning. Right after waking up, she heads to her work shed adjacent to her house and kneads tapioca powder and salt with water.By eight, joined by her helpers - Lilly Poulose, Sarojini Sugathan, Ammini Kesavan, Pankajakshi Velayudhan and Ajitha Sajan - she squeezes the mix on jackfruit leaves which were collected and cleaned earlier. The leaves are then left to dry in the sun.
After an hour or two, these are fried in palm oil. "This helps the snacks last as long as a week," Ammini says. The six women continue the process until dusk. Till midnight, Ammini ties a bunch of 'murukku' to each coconut pinnate leaf. "Each bunch of 15 murukku costs around Rs 10," she says.Other than the meticulous effort, the cost of tapioca powder is also considerably high, which has deterred any market for the snacks.
"Earlier, we used to make the tapioca powder but the time and effort put to reach the end product were twice it is now. Tapioca powder is expensive in the market. Fifty kg of the powder costs Rs 3,000," says Ammini. Furthermore, she says the younger generation does not know about these snacks.
For years, Ammini has recorded a high note in her sales during the Mahasivarathri. She and her employees/friends set up a stall at Aluva Manappuram on early March 4. "It's not like we earn a lot. We have enough to get by. Sivarathri is our final destination in the season," she says. After the season ends, Ammini takes occasional orders from customers who want to relive their younger days.
Sixty-five-year-old Ammini was a mere teenager when she began making snacks for a living. "My mother had just passed away. Our family was in the snack business for generations," she says of her humble beginnings.