Hidden Heirlooms: The Indian Tradition of Passing Down Masala Boxes

Buried behind unassuming shelves and cabinets, every kitchen has secret flavors stamped with Indianness. The red chili powder, turmeric powder, cumin, mustard seeds, ground coriander, and one box to keep them all – the Masala Dabba. A traditionally round utensil with seven removable compartments, closed with a lid to keep safe the essential spices that define the Indian taste.

The masala dabba is as vital to the Indian kitchen as tires are to a car for proper functioning. Without the spice box, the Indian kitchen would be incomplete. Every meal and every dish starts with a pinch from the masala dabba and sometimes ends with it as well.

The box itself comes with several practical uses, the most important of which is to keep all the spices organized in neat little packs to help avoid the overcrowding of the countertops.

Also, the spices can lose their potency and fragrance over a period of time. The masala dabba ensures that your spices last longer with an airtight container that seals the concoction of aromas, keeping a colorful mix of flavors fresh and ready to use.

Passing Down the Taste of Indianness

While it may seem that the spice box is simply a handyman in Indian cooking, an argument can be made that it is much more than that: an actual heirloom – passed down the generations. In the Indian kitchen, these memory boxes remain in continuous use for years.

Chances are that the masala dabbas used by your grandmother might have also been used by your mother and will be used by you. The only difference is that the passing down process is silent. There is no ceremony of changing hands.

There is a certain reverence for keeping the legacy of our ancestors. The old furniture, tarnished jewelry, and the faded wardrobe charm us because they hold stories of our past, which are linked to our origin. For example, the Indian brides bring brass utensils with them to their new home and pass them down to their sons and daughters upon their marriage. These kitchen accessories can hold a certain meaning for them since they are a part of their memories.

A similar case can be made for the masala dabbas. These treasure troves are a gateway to the memory of taste and age-old recipes. Each spice and spice blend is a flashback to the culture, taste, and tradition. And when these tastes and recipes are passed down to the new generations, so are the utensils that cook them.

At the end of their lives, the masala dabbas still continue to be an indispensable part of the Indian household. They are used as storage boxes for keeping trifles and tidbits like buttons, sewing kits, artificial jewelry, and the like.

Built to Last

The Masala Dabba is meant for generations of use. In the early times, these dabbas were built with wood, which allowed the contents to breathe as moisture filters through the wood naturally. These types of Masala boxes were made more commonly in the tropical weather of Southern India.

More ornamental pieces, such as brass, cast iron, and copper, were used to make spice boxes in the north. By the 1950s and 60s, the Indian kitchens incorporated the cheaper stainless-steel masala dabbas, which became an indispensable part of every cooking space.

Traditional spice boxes, however, are still in use and re-emerging in kitchens throughout India. One instance of this is the brass masala box for kitchen, which aren’t just sophisticated pieces of heritage; they are extremely durable and lightweight, perfect for everyday use. Similar factors make copper spice boxes a favorite among Indian households.

An Essential Utensil in India

Known by many names like the masala dani and namak dani in the north, anjarai petti in the south, and masala no dabbo in the west – the spice box is ubiquitous in India. And like the name, the contents also change from region to region – so much so that you would rarely find two identical masala boxes.

In Punjab, ajwain (carom seeds), dhania (coriander seeds) and homemade garam masala powder fill the danis of the masala box – highlighting the culinary taste of the region. While in West Bengal, the panch phoron (an aromatic combination of five whole seeds — jeera (cumin), methi (fenugreek), kalonji (nigella sativa), saunf (fennel) and radhuni capture the flavors of the East.

In Tamil Nadu, you can find masala dani with only five compartments, excluding the whole spices used for tempering.

These boxes are also memorabilia of home, an identity that people take to foreign lands and countries. The flavors these boxes hold then become a reminder of their roots, a sense of comfort amidst foreign food, culture, and people.

The Last Thought

The Masala Boxes are the crown jewels of the Indian kitchen. These are the prized objects of every household, the hidden heirlooms which are quietly passed down through the generations. These are more than just boxes for storing spices. Each masala box holds years of stories about memories, emotions, and love of the people who came before us. And an object that holds these stories also holds a soul.

The post Hidden Heirlooms: The Indian Tradition of Passing Down Masala Boxes appeared first on Daily Excelsior.

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