84-year-old spice store in Muar nonetheless a agency favorite

MUAR: Strolling down the rows of shophouses within the quiet city of Muar could be a somewhat fascinating expertise.

Apart from the numerous old-school kopitiams promoting native favourites for breakfast and lunch, there are sundry outlets aplenty promoting all method of family necessities in addition to these promoting conventional biscuits in enormous tins and lots of others cashing in on the craze of ‘otak-otak’, promoting the frozen model of this delicacy to be thawed and loved at house.

Many of those companies have been in operation for many years like ‘MRS Kasia Pillai’, a store that opened in 1939 as has earned a status for promoting high-quality Indian spices and medicinal herbs.

Situated just a few doorways away from the well-known Muar 434 espresso store, this spice store seems like another grocery retailer from the surface. Nonetheless, as soon as inside, you’ll be hit with the overwhelming odor of Indian spices in all its glory.

Their vary of spices is as extensive as it’s vibrant – scorching paprika powder, cloves, saffron, black cumin, inexperienced pepper, purple pepper and plenty extra – all necessities in any Indian or Asian kitchen.

Other than spices, this store additionally sells a big selection of Indian medicinal herbs like sandalwood, ginger, wild turmeric, haritaki powder and senna leaves.

The present proprietor of the store is Amiruddin Shaik Alaudin, whose mother and father, Aishan Nachia and Shaik Alaudin, as soon as ran the enterprise collectively.

Talking to FMT, Amiruddin mentioned a lot of the spices offered listed here are imported from India, US, Sri Lanka, and Ukraine.

Additionally they bundle their very own curry powder mixes, Amiruddin mentioned, for fish, prawn, hen and mutton dishes in addition to spice mixes for hen sambal, grilled hen satay, and even easy soups.

All of the spice mixes are blended at their in-house manufacturing facility, then packaged to be offered on the store and on-line by way of meals supply platforms.

There’s additionally a spice-mill on the premises, the place clunky, previous machines as soon as used throughout Amiruddin’s mother and father’ time over 50 years in the past, are nonetheless in operation, grinding cumin seeds, coriander seeds, black pepper, dried chillies in addition to curry leaves right into a wonderful powder.

A employee stirs a curry powder combine within the spice-mill part of the store. (Moganraj Villavan @ FMT Life-style)“We’ve retained the standard technique to grind and mix the spices as we take delight in ensuring the spices are properly blended, and launch a perfume in the course of the cooking course of,” Amiruddin mentioned.

He added that lots of his older clients who come to his store typically reminisce in regards to the previous instances the place they purchased herbs and spices right here.

“Many who come to my store are merely hit by a wave of nostalgia as they inform me that their grandparents used to purchase these herbs to remedy sure illnesses. Now, everybody simply goes to the pharmacy to get their treatment.

“Not each buyer will admire my store, however I’m glad when somebody tells me that it reminds them of their yesteryears,” he mentioned with a smile.

Other than the spices and medicinal herbs, the store additionally shares on a regular basis merchandise sourced from India equivalent to oil, rice, flour and varied hair and physique merchandise.

MRS Kasia Pillai

126-127, Jalan Maharani
Taman Sri Emas
84000 Muar
Johor

Contact: 06-951 9149

Enterprise hours: 7.00am-7.00pm day by day