Exploring spice

KOCHI: Annie and her grandfather were busy making food in the kitchen at their house in Kochi when they realised that they were out of spices — cardamom, star anise, sweet and cinnamon.To refill her grandpa’s treasured brass-coated spice box, Annie travels to the spice market in Mattancherry on a ferry. Over her journey, she explores spices, their journey from the farm to homes. 

It was indeed a productive lockdown for the debut authors and long-time friends Sruthi Vijayan and Sanjana Ranjit. Sruthi is a full-time photographer based in Chennai and Sanjana is a freelance illustrator and interior designer based in Italy. 

Illustrating a full-fledged children’s book was a first-time experience for both. “We have had discussions to do something together. But it sort of culminated during the first lockdown in March 2020. A phone call to check on each other paved the way to ‘A Little Spice Is Extra Nice,” says Sruthi.

After brainstorming multiple ideas, Sruthi and Sanjana zeroed in on food as the theme, as the duo shares a common love for the cuisine. “Gowing up, we barely had books that discuss food or cooking for kids. Through Little Spice Is Extra Nice we also wanted the kids to understand the hardship and respect the effort that goes behind what they eat,” says Sanjana. 

From food, the idea traversed to spices. “When the spice element was taken into consideration, we couldn’t think of any better backdrop for the story other than Mattancherry — Kochi’s oldest port town with a rich and history of spice trade attached to it,” adds Sruthi.

The duo made multiple visits to Kochi. Sanjana’s roots in Kerala helped her make the illustrations as authentic as possible. “The intricate details of the streets and spice warehouses of Mattancherry — where the spices are picked, sorted, and powdered are accommodated in the illustrations. We referred to photographs Sruthi took while she visited Mattancherry,” explains Sanjana. 

A COLLECTIVE EFFORT
The duo never met throughout the process. “After fixing on the protagonist and the location, we formed a plot. Sruthi further developed the story. I built a mood board to better understand the colour, texture, and visual transitions from one scene to another. Later, the characters were sketched. Since it was a simultaneous effort and the entire production was happening at the same time, we were able to give each other a bunch of creative feedback,” says Sanjana.  

Though the book mainly targets kids, the duo wanted their creation to be a source of information and inception to young readers, rather than just telling stories. Annie explores the world of spices through small-time workers. The book sheds light on the importance of keeping relationships alive and bashes gender stereotypes — even the chef is male.

“The sight of a grandfather’s cooking is quite foreign to many of us. I was able to draw inspiration from my grandfather. We have tried to convey cooking as an essential life skill and not as a task that pertains to a specific gender,” adds Sanjana.  The finished book with illustrations was sent to the publishing house Speaking Tiger. The duo is planning to release a series with Annie as the protagonist and the theme as ‘exploration’.