Kerala's cuisine is rich with a variety of dishes, each consumed in different quantities at every meal. Among these, side dishes hold a special place for their unique flavours and widespread popularity. Spicy pickles, or ‘achars,’ are an inevitable side dish for Keralites, especially when paired with rice. Kerala boasts a huge variety of hot and tangy pickles, with mango pickles being the most popular. Varieties include tender mango pickles, dry mango pickles, sliced mango pickles, and cut mango pickles. Citrus lime pickles also come in various tastes and forms. Other popular pickles are ginger and garlic pickles, gooseberry pickles, vegetable pickles, chili pickles, prawn pickles, and seer fish pickles. Flavour-enhancing ingredients commonly used in pickles are chillies (Red or Green), salt, fenugreek powder, asafoetida, and mustard those change in combination and quantity for different varieties. Regionally, pickles are also known as ‘Uppilittathu,’ meaning ‘soaked in salt.’ Pickles typically dominate with salty and spicy flavours, with some varieties also comes in a tangy taste. 

Pickle making was an integral part of life for homemakers in the past. In joint families, pickles were made in large quantities during the season when the ingredients were available, and they were stored for days and months to soak and develop their flavours. Today, this fine art, handed down through generations, is on the verge of dying out due to the transition from large joint families to nuclear families, and changes in lifestyles and occupations over the years. Pickles were traditionally stored in huge airtight jars or China jars called ‘bharani.’ Utmost care was taken to prepare these preserves in a clean and dry atmosphere to ensure that the pickles remained fresh and free of fungus until the next season.

Heated gingelly or coconut oil was used in large quantities to create a fairly deep layer of oil at the top of the jar. There were no artificial preservatives to keep the pickles fresh for months. The jar would then be closed with a lid, covered with cloth, and sometimes buried to ensure absolutely no air contact. Today, these large pickle bharanis have become curios and flower pots in mansions and hotels, or are on display in museums. The very thought of traditional pickles still makes mouths water for those who have experienced their flavour. Many manufacturing units now produce a wide range of pickles, and trying to retain the rich aroma and taste of traditional pickles from bygone days.