Keeping the spice blends business going
In an era dominated by mass-produced spice mixes from large corporations, the number of small, traditional businesses preparing and selling their own spice blends has considerably dwindled.
Yet, at Bedok 85 Fengshan Centre, 76-year-old Allah Pichai and his 70-year-old wife Ajarah Beebi are preserving this vanishing craft with remarkable dedication.
For more than four decades, Mr Pichai has been meticulously preparing and selling a variety of spice mixes, tailored to the specific needs of his customers.
Mrs Ajarah, who started working full-time at the stall alongside her husband after she retired as a teacher, explained that their spice blends are made up of two parts: Wet and dry ingredients.
“We source wholesale quantities of essential dry spice powders like chilli, cumin, cinnamon and turmeric from external vendors,” Mrs Ajarah said. “Then, we take great care in grinding the fresh, wet ingredients such as ginger, onion, garlic and tamarind into pastes at home.”
“Following this, the pastes are mixed together on the spot at our stall with the dry spices to create custom wet spice blends according to each customer’s request.
“We receive requests to create blends for different kinds of curries and dishes from various cuisines, including rendang and traditional South Indian dishes like sambar and rasam.”
Mr Pichai’s journey in the spice trade began at a young age, learning the craft passed down through generations in his family.
After completing his schooling, he learned the craft first-hand from his mother at her shop in the former Commonwealth Avenue Wet Market. Following her passing, he took over the business, running it successfully for 20 more years before relocating to his current stall at the wet market in Bedok 85 Fengshan Centre.
He has since been running the stall with his wife for another 20 years.
Reflecting on the current state of the trade, Mrs Ajarah expressed a sense of loss.
“This profession is dying as people’s preferences are changing with the times. Young people these days are not interested in such jobs,” she lamented. “Even our own children do not want to take up this business.”
She pointed out that today’s youth cherish their freedom, which is why few are willing to pursue the spice mixing business, where taking even a day off is unheard of.
Despite all these challenges, Mr Allah emphasised that it’s important to preserve this unadulterated traditional craft for future generations. “We must not let it die.”
“This business has seen us through many significant moments in our lives, such as buying a house, a vehicle and educating our children,” he said.
The couple remains committed to their trade, driven by the appreciation of their loyal customers.
“Along with Indians, Chinese and Malays also buy our spice blends regularly. Even foreigners come to our stall from time to time,” Mrs Ajarah said with pride.
“As long as there are folks who appreciate what we do, we’ll continue doing it for as long as we can.”
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