The real taste of India!. Review on Priya Pickles

I was born in North India to South Indian parents, grew up in South India with North Indians in a hostel and am presently eking out a living in Western India in the company of South Indians. Having been exposed to so many diverse people and cultures, I have inculcated a little bit of each region into my system. My culinary tastes still remain predominantly South Indian though. What makes the South Indian foods distinct from their counterparts in the other parts of the country are the amazing range of pickles, not to speak of idli, vada, dosa and sambar and a hundred other hot and spicy items.

There was a time when making “Avakaya” or Mango pickle was considered a small celebration in our home when we were based down South. It was more of a community activity because all the housewives in the neighbourhood would congregate in a single house and the whole pickle making ceremony would last 2-3 days through all its stages. Enough pickle would be made to last all the families for the whole year (because of the non-availability of mangoes in other seasons). That’s how I got addicted to pickles and the fascination, nay, addiction continues to this day!

Priya Pickles

They were launched in 1980 by the Andhra Pradesh based “Eenadu Group” belonging to Ramoji Rao, who, among other things owns the Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad. These cater to the varied food cultures in India - certainly not an easy job in a country where every state has its own distinct culture and preferred local flavour. What started locally on an experimental basis with 6 pickles now spans the entire world and stretches to 23 flavours. The most commonly devoured ones are Mango, Tomato, Ginger, Mixed vegetable and Gongura (Hibiscus Cannabinus), a kind of leafy vegetable.

Taste

My tongue, irrespective of whether or not it is in the cheek (sic!) has got so used to spicy food that I find it difficult to survive on the bland tasteless, albeit oily Maharashtrian and Gujarati food in Mumbai. We (my bachelor co-habitants) always make it a point to stock out house adequately with at least two different bottles of Priya pickles at any point of time. 23 flavours obviously cannot taste the same and I’ve tasted almost everyone of them over the years. I’ve never found any reason to complain about Priya, except, of course that I find their Tomato and Mixed vegetable pickles to contain just a wee bit of extra salt, bottle after bottle. Most of the others are perfectly made and are sure to tickle the taste buds of anyone who tastes them.

Ingredients

Apart from the specific fruits and vegetables that go into each pickle, standard ingredients such as sesame or mixed vegetable oil, salt, citric acid and seasoning are added to the pickles to lend them the perfect taste. The very fact that Priya continues to thrive and grow even 20 years after its first launch speaks volumes of its commitment to the quality of its products. Most people are allergic to garlic and Priya therefore makes the pickles without garlic and in some cases, without sesame oil too.

Availability

Throughout my sojourns across India, I’ve never been to a place where I couldn’t spot a bottle of Priya pickle. The only exception was when I shifted to Mumbai and the elderly Gujarati gentleman who owns the provision store at the end of our street told me with a sorry grin that he didn’t stock the spicy varieties because of lack of demand for them in that area. He, however now makes it a point to ask us for our preferences before he orders for the next consignment. Priya is not only available throughout India but also in most foreign countries. It is shipped in various sizes of packages ranging from the standard 100 gram pouches and 300 gram bottles to 30 kg barrels!

Packaging, Shelf Life and Value for Money

The pickles come in a variety of packages from small pouches meant for one or two uses to bottles which last a mid-size family for about a few weeks (it lasts US only for 5 days at the most!). These are therefore convenient to carry along even on long distance journeys unless handled carelessly. The pouches and bottles are vacuum-sealed in an ISO certified factory and can be used anytime within 12 months from the time they are packed. I have no idea about the other packages but the 300 gram bottle costs between Rs. 30-35, depending on the flavour. This compares quite favourably with its competitors in the market, “Bedekar’s” and “Mother’s Recipe” – the other two branded pickles in the Indian market.

Thus Spake TiC

Priya has been an inseparable companion throughout my thirteen years of life away from home. I find it pretty handy as a bachelor because even if I come home late without having dinner, I can quickly cook some rice, add a dash of Priya to it and wash down the whole thing with a cup of curds. They have a great taste, are easily available anywhere, are priced reasonably and have no side effects on my body – what more could I ask for from the food I eat?

One final word of caution – they are quite addictive, especially the spicy ones. Eating too much at one go could make you a mobile “rocket launcher”, please take care! Lol…