KOCHI: In this sweltering heat, everyone has their own way of staying cool. For some, it’s heading to a spot where their favourite summer refreshment is served just right. Near Convent Junction, there’s one such roadside stall that’s become a haven for college students and commuters alike, all thanks to one man and his signature ‘achaar sambhaaram’.
For 40 years, Johnny chettan (M A John) has been quenching the city’s thirst, one glass at a time. Of his many drinks, his specialty is a unique concoction called achaar sambhaaram. What started as an experimental twist has grown into a summer essential for many locals.
“I’ve been here since I was 20,” says Johnny with a proud smile, pouring out a cloudy glass of chilled buttermilk with a bright red slice of pickle bobbing on top.
“This started as a necessity. Now it’s my passion,” notes the 58 year old.
Though sambhaaram is a staple across Kerala, Johnny’s twist came just eight years ago. “One afternoon, I was having lunch - rice, buttermilk and a little pickle on the side. And I thought, why not combine it into one drink. “I gave it to a few friends to taste and they loved it,” he recalls.
The combination is unexpectedly addictive. Fresh buttermilk is brought from home each morning, whisked and spiced with a paste of green chillies and ginger, and topped with a sliver of home-style pickle.
“I haven’t changed the recipe. It’s been the same since the day I created it,” says Johnny.
Johnny’s day starts early. He gathers his ingredients, prepares an array of sarbaths and sambhaaram, and opens his stall by 10 am, staying open until 10pm every day except Sunday. Though he offers a variety of drinks, it’s the achaar sambhaaram that pulls people in.
He sources pickles partly from home and partly from local vendors and the ingredients are mixed fresh, right in front of the customer. “The balance has to be just right - not too salty, not too bland. That’s what people come for,” he says.
He now sells at least 5 litres of achaar sambhaaram every day, the sale is particularly high during Kochi’s brutal summer months.
Ask any student at the nearby St Teresa’s College about achaar sambhaaram and they’ll direct you to “Johnny chettan’s kada.”
“I don’t think my college life would’ve been the same without Johnny chettan’s achaar sambhaaram. The place holds so many memories. It’s like a tradition, we’ll buy the sambharam and sip all the way to the class,” says Maryann Joseph, a third-year student at St Teresa’s.
Johnny remembers faces even after years. “Some girls come back after graduating, married, with kids. They all say they’ve missed this taste,” he says.
His customer base also includes a steady stream of passersby and busy shoppers in the Convent Junction area. One such regular, Amana Susan, says, “When the heat gets unbearable, nothing works like the achaar sambhaaram here. The pickle gives it a punch that no cafe cooler can match.”
Even as Kochi changes rapidly with malls, cafes, and swanky new eateries on every corner, Johnny’s little shop has remained unchanged in its charm and spirit. “The city has grown, and the heat has gotten worse. But people still want something that reminds them of home,” he says.