Fresh Spices

Our place is at 14 B in Kambalakkad, near Kaniyamuttam Post. It’s a green area with a lot of trees around the building. We deal with spices. Usually, the smell hits you before you even see the front door. It’s a strong mix of pepper, cardamom, and ginger. We spend our days drying things out and sorting them by size. It’s very hands-on work. We use large mats and trays spread out everywhere. My hands always smell like turmeric, no matter how much I wash them at night. It’s just part of the life. We get the spices from the local growers around here. Some of them have been bringing their harvest to us for many years. We don't have a fancy storefront. It’s more of a workspace where things get bagged up. The floor is covered in some husks sometimes, but we try to keep it tidy. Rain is our biggest enemy because we need the sun for the drying process. When the clouds come over, we have to hurry and cover everything up. It’s a lot of running around and heavy lifting. We don't use any big words to describe what we do. We just take what the earth gives and get it ready for people to use in their cooking. It’s honest work. Sometimes we sit out front and watch the traffic go by on the narrow road. It’s a simple operation, run by people who know their spices well.