Kurkun : Unwinding a lost tradition
Hunza valley is surrounded by huge gigantic snow-capped mountains and is home to the world’s 3 highest peaks. For the longest Hunza used to be isolated and people were very less aware of northern Pakistan but now Hunza has emerged as the top tourist place loved by many from all around the world. Hunza is famous for its beautiful scenic mountains and greenery. Somewhere while growing rapidly Hunza is losing its traditions. Pretty much of it is still intact but people are growing distant from their roots into a very fast pace of life as compared to what lives used to be in the old days. This rapid development has turned out for good and bad as it is affecting the lifestyles and the culture of locals. The culture can still be felt and seen through the historic forts preserved, the agricultural practices of locals, and the love of traditional music. No doubt in a few years these things will get modernized.
One such practice is the use of Kurkun , which is a traditional pot made of purely stone used for crushing, grinding, and extracting raw and pure oils like almonds, walnut, and various nuts. In the old days, almost every house had a Kurkun and it is very heavy to lift in terms of weight. These days a traditional Kurkun has been replaced with modern-day appliances which are lighter and much easier to use. Kurkun’s are very precious and rare to find, the use of Kurkun’s still exists such as for extracting raw and pure oils. I was lucky enough to come across a lady who was extracting almond oil.
the lady repeatedly rolls over the crushed almonds with great force, adding water to the paste from time to time, and pushing it against the pot to extract the oil. This process goes on for a while until there’s no more oil left to extract. The amount of patience and hard work speaks wonders. Raw and pure almond oil is very much different and organic than processed almond oil. It comes with a lot of health benefits and it is used as a hair oil in some cases.
Somehow these practices still exist although rare but people prefer the old slow-paced life.
To read more about the traditions and culture of Hunza stayed tuned with me. to connect with me catch me on Twitter @lostsoup101 or Instagram @_tales_of_thelost. bringing you indigenous stories straight from the mighty mountains of the north! along with my passion for writing, I love taking pictures too. Connect with me and let us walk through the virtual stories of Hunza
