TIFFIN/LUNCH BOX-CARRIER

 FROM SAMPATH’S DESK:

  

 

 

 

TIFFIN/LUNCH BOX-CARRIER

 

Water and food are sine qua non for life-sustenance. After all, one works and earns for his livelihood which includes mainly food, among others.

 

In the years of yore, people lived in pockets of human habitats. People pursued their respective professions and sought out their livelihood only locally. They didn’t move and/or venture out to too-far places nor was there any necessity for the same; in short, their movements were very much restricted. After finishing their work, they would go home, take food in the house, and proceed further. Since there was no ‘too-long absence’ from home in a day, they didn’t feel the necessity to take their food along whenever they went out.

 

The advent of modern education, knowledge explosion, industrialization, mind-blowing innovations, development of infrastructure of sorts, employment opportunities, worker mobility, etc. has phenomenally transformed the whole scenario, specifically human lifestyles, their physical movement(s), transport, etc. In today’s world, distances have shrunk too drastically and people daily commute miles and miles to reach their workplaces and return home. Thus, the practice of carrying their food along - mostly for lunch and in some cases, for breakfast also - is resorted to. People take along with them their food in convenient containers called tiffin-boxes/carriers/lunchboxes. Only very few had/have their workplace/home within a short distance enabling them to go home for lunch.

 

The following is the line-up of lunch-packing solutions:

 

• Metal/Steel/Ever-silver lunchboxes/containers
• Plastic boxes/containers.
• Watertight and spill-proof Tupperware.
• Hot-packs.
• Cool-packs.
• Porcelain containers.
• Glass containers.

 

In big cities and towns, in the race against time, one could even see people taking their breakfast while traveling, say, in a van, train, bus, etc. en route to their workplace.

 

Tiffin boxes/lunch carriers became popular in and around the 1880s when Gora Sahib began a tradition of having a lighter snack after lunch to survive the hot weather in India. For the working Indians though, the tiffin was the lunch that they couldn't go home to.

 

In the late 18th century when the British colonized Malaya, they brought with them the tradition of tiffin, and by the 1900s, tiffin carriers were widespread. Interestingly, each community imbued the tiffin carrier with its own special shapes, designs, and significance as they found it suitable and expedient.

 

Needless to say, a lunchbox is a hand-held container used to transport food, usually to the workplace and/or school/college. It is commonly made of metal or plastic, reasonably airtight with a handle for carrying.

 

Most of the time during my school/college life, I used to carry along with me a single lunchbox tightly packed with ‘curd rice’. Even though majestically and bombastically called ‘curd-rice’, it was only a misnomer for the simple ‘buttermilk rice’ with a few chips of lemon/citron (Naarthangai-நார்த்தங்காய் pickles) embedded in it. Those who brought what was ‘too tasty and yummy’ tiffin and/or refreshments should take extra care to keep their containers in safe custody so that their peers don’t meddle or tamper with it and/or empty/reduce the quantity inside by consuming it. Whether it is a tiffin or a full meal, we have appropriate boxes and carriers.

 

In workplaces, while some choose to take their lunch or midday food in isolation, most would have a round-table conference to jointly do the job amid a serious exchange of views/points, chitchats, and tittle-tattle. Colleagues would share their food as they confabulated relevantly or otherwise. It would appear to some as though people gathered to chitchat on the pretext of having their lunch or take the midday meal incidentally passing the time chatting among themselves.

 

The best bet has been the ever-silver/steel tiffin-box and container that have become the fait accompli. Plastic containers were used at some point in time only to be abandoned for the reason of brittleness liable to get easily broken besides generation of an undesirable/unpalatable smell to grapple with. Tupperware containers are no doubt spill-proof. But the smell of the food would linger on in them despite cleaning/washing. Hot-packs, cool-packs, and flasks served the purpose well although inconvenient to carry due to space constraints and movement hassles.

 

The need for improving the quality of food containers had multiple objectives like keeping the food fresh, guarding against contamination, retaining its original flavour and aroma, being easy to carry, hygiene and health, etc. Hence the flooding of different kinds of lunchboxes and containers in the market with tall claims, no matter whether or not they met the robust requirements.  

 

The Tupperware Lunch Box is, no doubt, a reliable and versatile option for packing one’s meal. Made from high-quality plastic, this lunchbox keeps your food fresh and secure, besides being somewhat heat-resistant. It features a tight-sealing lid that prevents leaks and spills ensuring mess-free transportation. With its compact and stackable designs, it is easy to carry and store multiple boxes. This easy-to-carry lunch container is a practical choice for anyone seeking a durable and convenient lunchtime solution. There is also the microwave-safe Tupperware lunchbox which is a classic set with some much-needed features. Even though some of the materials meet our requirements, the hidden fact of adverse health side effects cannot be altogether ruled out or discounted.

  

Even though modern containers/carriers carry characteristics and features like space-savvy, transparent and/or translucent bodies, eye-catchy colours, shapes and designs, and airtight lids, the negative factors are mostly lost sight of, brushed aside, and perhaps deliberately ignored.

 

With all said and done, these modern tiffin-boxes/lunchboxes/containers have come to stay with us and are likely to rule the roost for a long time ahead.

 

 

(R.SAMPATH)

16/12/2023