SPOON- KARANDI- AKAPPAI
Dear friends
Wish you all a HAPPY ONAM. I have chosen this topic from the many suggested to me by Sri Viswanath, for the Onam day. Simple reason- My wife was skipping from channel to channel in the afternoon. Every where onam preparations- Palpayasam, Pal ada payasam, sarkara payasam, etc etc.
Either prepared by a young male and a lady anxiously getting details or by two young ladies ditto. It is not to be told, they wear new onam saris with folders clearly shown/visible, head with plenty of jasmine flowers dropping to front and ALWAYS SMILING. Not fitted smiling.
In addition to preparation, a lot of personal talks between them. We know the program is more for the personal talks.
After listening for some time I got doubted with so much of personal talks, will not payasam get spoiled not having much attention. I asked my wife about it. Least interested to talk to me she said- A person with out interest (Rasanayillattha manushyan...) if you are not interested why you disturb me enjoying. Go to your room. Strictly obeying I with drew to my room.
Most important, my uruli either shining yellow or light white yellow for preparation was there along with a stainless steel Karandi. In Malayalam we call it THAVI. When we say thavi though my lifco dictionary giving the English word as spoon, we mean some thing else. Laddle may be the more appropriate.
When we say spoon, we mean an utensil having lesser weight with small handle about three or four inches and an oval shaped widened end to take some small quantity of powdered or liquid item. Also spoon is used to take semisolid/ liquid items like pickles. Why certain items like mustard,methi etc are also taken from containers using spoon by those who are very specific of using it. I like to take them using fingers either it is healthy or non healthy practice. Using fingers is not a bad practice, I am sure.
While I was a small by there was no stainless steel. It appeared when I was above 10 years. On those days we had only brass spoons. Spoons used to be of different sizes. For pickles, sugar, coffee powder etc medium spoons were used to take from the container. Small spoons were mostly used for the oil containers used to keep oil along with chutni/ mulakaipodi etc. Kitchen used to have larger ones. Oil was not a commodity highly priced or it was practice to use more quantity comparing to present day.
At one time doctors used to prescribe LIQUID MEDICINES AS TABLE SPOONS. It meant medium spoons. The present day ml was not known to us. Now too many of us make mental calculations and consume cough syrups from the bottle. The quantity reaching the tongue is intimated to brain.
We had three types of metals in later periods for Aappa or karandi. One stainless steel, another bronze or brass and a third Eayakarandi. Eayakarandi was more brittle. We had aluminium also for ladle and spoons at one time.
Now too during sraadha many use brass/bronze chattukam to keep camphor and make fire to ignite the homa kundam. I am not forgetting the srardha niyama of yester years that oupasanagni should be used for srardha. I read it as a reminder a few days back in the postings by Sri G Balasubramoniam.
Special karandy is the KANNAPA used in frying as well as rice cooking. Chattukam is another special karandi having a flat end. Where as Kannappa is slightly oval, chattukam is 100% flat. Temples use only chattukam in bronze in the thidapalli if I am correct. Anything other than bronze is not used in the temple.
Spoons made of fibre, coconut shell etc more convenient with semi solid items to take from jars. However though fibre is in market, the ones using coconut shell are not so popular now a days. Wooden karandies for taking things and wooden chattukams to take chappathi, dosa from the non stick cook ware are common. Though fibre spoons are there, still stainless steel ones take over them in day to day matters.
The brass chattukams with handle of about 5 feet length used along with vaarppu and chembu can now see in Ayurvedic kashayam and arishtam etc preparation areas. Some big temples still have them and may be using during feasts . Probably Vaikkam, Sabarimala etc temples may be using them.
The spoons supplied with meals by the railway were brought by many at a time to the houses . Now every body discard them after meals. Surely spoon has also become low quality and only use and throw.
The general rule regarding karandi is that those with broken handles should not be used. Now with stainless steel breaking is very less. Most discard them and purchase shining ones for improving kitchen appearance. It is applicable to all items.
Writer- R. Gopala Krishnan dated 7-9-2014
