AdmirableIndia.com

Items in the museum:

• Fruit baskets:



• Stone vessels: Before stainless steel, cooking vessels were made mostly of terracotta. Metal ones were limited to elite kitchens. These vessels were for cooking and serving food.



• Pickle jars, Salt containers, serving bowl and curry baskets: Pickles and chutneys needed care as they were eaten during the monsoon when there was a dearth of raw food. Handmade, non-porous ceramic containers were ideal for condiments, because they do not react with salt. Once filled the jars were sealed with a cloth and covered with a lid. Ceramic, wood and bamboo containers were preferred for salt since metal reacts with sodium. Wooden ones were especially useful since they absorb moisture and keep salts from clumping. Bowls with handles protected the hand of a person serving food to people and dinning off banana leaves placed on the floor. The cane basket with three cups was meant for serving curries during feasts.



• Measure: All solids and liquids were measured with volume and not by weight. Measures sometimes coated with wild cashew fruit pulp to prevent leakage were used also to quantify and remove grain from larger containers.



• Churners for milk processing: Churned milks or curds are made in to sweet butter and butter milk and stored in to earthen pots, which keep dairy products cool.



Before refrigeration this specially designed basket was used to hang pots of milk, curd, butter and meat from a roof beam and out of reach of ants, rats, cats or dogs.



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