A big glass jar full of pickles is a must-have accompaniment on every South Indian dining table. A dash of the tangy staple makes every meal a hundred times better. Keeping the homecooked flavour of the achaars intact, Calicut- based brand ‘Jamee’s Tastories’ by Jameela K and her family has been releasing fresh, traditionally cooked jars of pickles. They started the business during lockdown last year.
“Jamee’s is short for my mother’s name, Jameela. Her cooking has an entire fan base in our family and her pickles always grab the spotlight. During the lockdown, it was difficult for us to get fish and meat from the market regularly. So, to stock them up, my mother started making several batches of pickles. We would keep some at home and the rest, she would give away to friends and family. My brother-in-law Danish suggested starting a venture that sells pickles,” says Basim Mehar, co-founder and Jameela’s son.
Basim, Ishrath, Sharmili, Afsal, Danish, and Jameela’s combined effort has kept the venture running strong so far. Fresh clams, oysters, prawns, mussels, kingfish, tuna pickles are made and stored apart from regulars like beef, chicken, dates chilly and dates lemon. All of the batches are handmade, even the masalas are sourced raw and powdered. “We follow the traditional method of slow cooking and dry the pickles later. No stabilisers are added. Fresh ingredients are sourced and cooked immediately. Even small compromise in freshness or quality of ingredients will be evident in the pickles,” says Jameela.
Unlike the mass-produced bottles, natural ingredients and zero preservatives make Jamee’s a treat for your taste buds. They only make limited batches at once. “We don’t intend to make in large quantities as we don’t want to compromise on the quality. Right now, we make 40 bottles at once,” adds Basim.
The soft textured pickles cater to a large audience. They keep the spice and sourness level at medium. “The elements may vary considering the customers’ preference,” adds Jameela. Beef, oyster, and prawn are the fast-moving items.
Starts from Rs 90
Instagram: @jameestastories