Ashok Kapoor Mixers & Pickles

Working at Ashok Kapoor Mixers & Pickles means you go home smelling like spices and vinegar every single day. We are located at 1/2, Shashi Food Products (India) Idh. in Kolazhy. The humidity here in Kerala is no joke, especially when you are standing over big pots or moving heavy crates of jars. We have a routine that hasn’t changed much over the years. We get the fruit and the vegetables in, wash them, and start the mixing process. It’s a lot of manual work. My hands are usually stained from the turmeric. The floors are always a bit damp because we are constantly cleaning something. It’s a busy little place, and the noise of the mixers is just something you get used to after a week. We have some old shelves that are sagging under the weight of the stock. Sometimes the lids don’t fit quite right and we have to sort through them by hand. It’s not a high-tech operation by any means. We just follow the steps we’ve always followed. The neighbors don't seem to mind the smell, or maybe they just got used to it like we did. When the monsoon hits, the rain on the roof is so loud we can barely hear each other speak. We just keep packing the pickles and waiting for the trucks to arrive. It’s a pretty honest way to earn a living.