How 'pothichoru' gave way to colourful lunch boxes

Lunch Box

Schools reopened after an exciting summer vacation and the kids are thrilled to start a new academic year. However, every morning, mothers would break their brains in the kitchen, trying to decide the dishes that have to be packed for their little ones to school. Some schools, in the recent times, have begun providing freshly cooked breakfast, snacks and lunch for the students. Facilities like these have greatly benefited at least a few mothers. However, most schools do not offer such facilities and it is the mother who decides the menu of her kids.

For all of us, the memory of carrying beautiful lunch boxes or meal packets (pothichoru) to school is very vivid. The classrooms fills with the delicious aroma of hundreds of dishes as these lunch boxes are opened at the same time.

Lunch packets

Lunch packets have always been part of men's lives. It is said that even the early humans used to carry lunch packets when they ventured into the dense forests for hunting. In the olden times, hot rice and tasty curries were neatly packed in lightly roasted plantain leaves and the students carrying such packets to school were common sight. These leaves could be thrown away and it never harmed the environment. However, as time passed, it became difficult for mothers to look for plantain leaves every day. Slowly, fresh plantain leaves gave way to shiny steel lunch boxes.

How plantain leaf meal packets gave way to colourful lunch boxes

Lunch boxes

David Shite, the curator at the American National History Museum says that the lunch boxes, like the ones that we use today became popular from the mid 19th century onwards. Lunch boxes made in iron and copper were used in the initial days.

It was in 1935 that a company called Gyuder and Frey introduced copyrighted lunch boxes with the pictures of cartoon characters on it. Mickey Mouse was the first ever cartoon character to be featured on a lunch box. These lunch boxes became an instant hit and even today, kids love carrying their lunch in cute boxes with their favourite cartoon characters on it.

Aladdin industries, in 1950, made lunch boxes with a theme based on the popular TV show of the same name, exclusively for children. It was introduced into the markets as Hopalong Cassidy lunch kits. The lunch boxes which became popular as ‘hoppy’ changed the fortunes for the Aladdin Company. The first aluminium lunch box was made, in 1954, by the Leo May Company based in Ontario. Vinyl lunch boxes became popular in 1960 and water bottles too became part of it.

Upma recipe

There was a time when delicious and soft upma enjoyed a special place in the schools in Kerala. Even today, mothers love cooking tasty upma for their kids. It is a quick fix and this is what makes upma a popular dish in our busy kitchens. Check out this easy recipe of mouth watering vermicelli upma.

Ingredients
1 cup vermicelli
¼ cup chopped onions
1 green chili (halved)
Curry leaves
Salt as required
1 cup water
Green peas
Coriander leaves

Preparation
Dry roast the vermicelli in a non-stick pan and keep it aside.
Heat some oil in the same pan and sauté the onions and the green chilly.
Into it add the curry leaves and salt as required.
After the onions have sautéed well, pour water and allow it to boil.
Add the roasted vermicelli into the boiling mixture.
Cook for five minutes on simmer with the lid on.
The water would get reduced and delicious vermicelli upma would be ready.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and boiled green peas.

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