Being away from home is hard enough without having to lose out on the favourite snacks from your home state, be it chikki, jhalmuri, murukku or local pickles.
A host of homegrown labels are curating regional snacks and local specialty products from Indian states to cater to homesick foodies. Now, you can source fresh mountain pepper sauce in Delhi or munch on Rajasthani kairi candy in Kolkata. So whether you’re missing home or just want some great local snacks, these labels could provide your favourite fix.
The NorthEast Store
Trideep Rabha and Catherine Dohling’s brand acts as a one-stop shop for indigenous produce, handlooms and merchandise. From bhut jolokia and axone (fermented soybean cakes, native to Nagaland) to bamboo shoots and meat pickles, their website delivers it all to your doorstep.
“Some products need more time to be market-ready, depending on which state and location we source it from. For example, the village of Lakadong in Meghalaya’s Jaintia Hills grows some of the best turmeric in the world (it has a curcumin content of over 7%). But travelling to Lakadong is a lot of work and we also need to find farmers and communities with whom we can collaborate to source the indigenous, authentic produce. We only make it available after ensuring quality and standardising packaging,” shares Dohling.
Apart from the Lakadong turmeric, you can also get Khasi mandarin orange jellies, mountain pepper sauce, dalle chilli paste and more.
The State Plate
Muskaan Sancheti’s label was born during the second lockdown in 2020, when she realised her family’s supply of Rajasthani papad was dwindling. Realising that many people might be facing the same difficulty in procuring their favourite ingredients and snacks, she connected with her friend Raghav Jhawar to collaborate on a brand.
State Plate has also been seen on Shark Tank India, and was backed by Peyush Bansal. The brand offers regional ingredients and snacks from 10 Indian states, such as Gujarat's famous dry fruits barfi, West Bengal’s Gobindobhog rice or Jharna Ghee, Banarasi stuffed red chilli pickle, Bengaluru's murukku and more.
Postcard
Postcard lets you browse their products by location and taste, and offers a terrific selection of regional preserves, such as Bengali kul pickle, Tamil Nadu’s kalyana mango pickle, Andhra’s gongura pickle, Himachali buransh chutney and more.
Foodwalas
Foodwalas curates regional food brands under one platform, which makes it easier for buyers to shop for local snacks. For instance, you’ll spot north Indian brands like Organic Kashmir, The Pickle Co., Devbhumi etc. From the east, they feature Bhogali Jalpan, Mukharochak, Namhah, Misstevia and Guwahati’s Elephant Country. You’ll also find seasonal desserts and popular snacks that are shipped fresh.