Umber Masale

Umber Masale is tucked away in Rihe village. If you’re looking for us, we are in the Mulshi Taluka, which is part of the Pune district. It’s a bit of a drive from the main city, but it’s a good spot for what we do. The surroundings are mostly green, especially when the monsoon hits. Our place is quite basic, just a sturdy building where we process the masale. You can smell the peppers and the turmeric from the road sometimes. The work here is physical and requires a lot of attention. We spend our days grinding, packing, and moving boxes around. It’s not the kind of job where you sit still for very long. The people working here are mostly locals from the Rihe area. We all know the shortcuts through the village and where to get the best snacks nearby. Being in Pune district gives us a good connection to the bigger markets, but we prefer the quiet of the Taluka for the actual production. There’s a lot of dust from the spices, so we’re always cleaning something. The equipment makes a lot of noise, so you can hear us working from a distance. It’s a simple life, focused on the products and the daily routine of the village. No fancy talk, just the smell of spices and the sound of the machines running until evening. That's the way it is here in Rihe.