After coming at this age of working and hardship whenever we look back we find the hidden pleasures of sweet memories were in our ‘Tiffin boxes’ in school life. In childhood after a long monotonous class tiffin time was our only escape. It’s kind of break time for us. Tiffin plays a vital role in everyone’s life.
People from every walk of life may carry a tiffin box to their workplace. But school’s tiffin time somewhat was different. A major part of the morning we devote ourselves to the discussion of what should be inside the tiffin box. Sometimes we were so eagerly waiting for the tiffin period we couldn’t resist eating tiffin before tiffin time and went to play during tiffin time. We bring different items for our tiffin. We even discuss the topic of the next day’s tiffin manual. We love to share our tiffin boxes with friends and classmates. Good old days are magical periods of our lives.
But how were we introduced to the term tiffin? The answer is when the British established themselves in India in the late 18th century, they needed to adapt themselves to the then Indian. The rituals of eating had to be changed to accommodate the hot, languid days and nights. In the heat of the day, lunch became a much lighter meal – but they were curious to name it. Somehow, the word that seemed to stick was ‘Tiffin’, taken from the slang word ‘Tiff’, a tot of diluted liquor, and ‘Tiffing’, to take a sip of this liquor (perhaps a hint that a sahib’s lunch might quite often be of the liquid variety!). Tiffin took off and ‘A spot of tiffin’ soon became a peg on which almost any culinary indulgence between breakfast and dinner could be hung.
Today tiffin might mean a packed lunchbox or afternoon tea snacks. As long as it is munched between breakfast and dinner, it is simply tiffin. The word tiffin is also used as a name for a lunchbox. Tiffins come in all shapes and sizes, but traditionally they are round, with three or four stacking stainless steel compartments firmly sealed with a tight-fitting lid and a side clip to avoid any nasty spillages and a handle for carrying on top.
In the Indian subcontinent, food is cooked at home with care and love that is considered to deliver not only healthy food but also divine contentment. Lunch is usually eaten plating-style that may include any combination of spicy vegetables, lentils, rice, yogurt, pickles, bread and pudding. To craft childhood perfectly in the tiffin box there are many tiffin-oriented businesses for those who don’t have time for making the tiffin. There are many ways to make the tiffin savory and healthy so that we can make sure that the tiffin is finished. The tiffin should be rich in ingredients, nutrition, a perfect lining. Children’s favourite food tiffin accessories like chips sauce should be inside the tiffin box.
After a long pandemic, schools are open now in Bangladesh. Students are getting their favourit tiffin time after a long time. The love of mother’s hand can be found again in the tiffin box. They always try to make it mouth-watering to make us eat and to finish it. Going back to school with the magical tiffin box should be a sweet memory for all students. With this healthy habit, they can bring back their lost happy hour!
