Come summer, art of pickling gets intense

Visakhapatnam: Come summer, the longing to scoop out a ladle of steaming rice, topped with a spoon of 'kotha avakaya' and a dollop of homemade ghee often turns out to be irresistible.

Even as the store-bought pickles find their way to the meal tables, the art of pickling in most Telugu households gets intense in hot summer months. From picking up the right variety of unripe mangoes to mixing appropriate proportions of spices and edible oil, the process not only requires a certain degree of dexterity but also substantial effort.

Assorted varieties of mangoes are incorporated for the pickle-making. While collector mangoes are suitable for 'theepi avakaya' (sweet mango pickle), baramasi, pariyalu, raw suvarnarekha and rasalu are handpicked for making spice-laden avakaya. Slivers of kolangova are incorporated for magayi-making. "The distinct spice powders that get into the pickle vary based on the recipe followed by the family. But, normally, it is a combination of red chilli powder, salt and mustard powder in the right quantities along with fenugreek seeds and garlic cloves," explains Ayyagari Sitaratnam, Professor of Telugu Department in Andhra University.

A number of YouTubers have come up with different versions of avakaya-making. For the recipe followers, a few cookbooks also come in handy. "But we follow what is passed on to us from our granny. The much-sought after avakaya prepared by her used to have a huge demand throughout the year. However, with the passing of that generation, her recipe is preserved in written and digital formats too," shares G Parvathi, a third-generation pickle maker. As women in most Telugu households get busy in making the pickle in summer months, men join the regimen as well. "From picking up spotless mangoes to washing them and cleaning them dry, the tasks are often shared between us. What delights me the most is the outcome which turns out to be a delectable product and savoured year long," says P Srinivas, an entrepreneur, who contributes to the pickle-making process.

With a few varieies of mangoes already trickling in the market, several households indulge in making assorted pickles to cater to the year-long requirement.