A History of Tiffin and Its Origins

Has it ever crossed your mind how the best Indian tiffin service in Mississauga came to be? With each tiffin’s high-quality ingredients and traditional cooking techniques, it is actually interesting to know where it came from.

Read on to learn more about the history of the best Indian tiffin service in Mississauga.

The Origins of Tiffin

After establishing their presence in India in the latter half of the 18th century, the British quickly realized that they needed to adjust their way of doing things. They realized that the customs around the act of eating would need to be adapted to make room for the hot, lazy days and nights.

Because of the heat of the day, people ate a considerably lighter meal for lunch, although they weren't really sure what to name it. Tiffin is derived from the slang phrases "tiff," which implies a small amount of diluted liquor, and "tiffing," which means to take a drink of this liquor. Together, these words form the root of the word "tiffin."

Somehow, the word "tiffin" seemed to stick around. Tiffin is a combination of these two words. Tiffin grew famous, and the phrase "a spot of tiffin" quickly referred to nearly any culinary treat that might be had between breakfast and supper.

From these humble beginnings in British India, tiffin has grown into its own fascinating world, a world that involves a wide variety of dishes and equipment and, most importantly, a variety of suppliers, ranging from the tiffin wallahs of Bombay to the vendors of spiced tea and savory snacks who cater to busy punters on the go. 

Tiffin has created a world that is both fascinating and unique. Tiffin can refer to various things in modern parlance, including a lunchbox, an afternoon tea, a savory snack, or a sweet dessert. It doesn't matter what you eat; as long as you eat it between breakfast and supper, we'll call it tiffin.

Boxed Meals for Lunch

A lunchbox may also be referred to as a tiffin in some parts of the world. Tiffins, also known as dhabbas, can be found in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. 

However, traditionally, they take the form of a round container with three or four stackable stainless steel compartments that are securely sealed with a lid that has a snug fit and a side clip to prevent messy spills, as well as a handle for carrying the container on its top.


In India, people believe that eating food that was prepared at home with care and affection not only provides them with nutritious food that is also very inexpensive but also a divine sense of happiness. 

Lunch is traditionally consumed as a thali, consisting of an enticing assortment of regional specialties served on a large steel plate or a banana leaf. These meals can contain veggies with a spicy kick, dhal, rice, yogurt, pickles, bread, or dessert in whatever combination you choose. Tiffin lunchbox's portable sections are suitable for thali meals.

The culture of tiffin may now be found throughout all of India. Everyone brings a tiffin to give a small, portable and prepared lunch. This includes ladies wearing brilliantly colored saris working in the fields, as well as families laughing while traveling on lengthy train travels.

Hot Home-Cooked Cargo and the Tiffin Wallahs

Amid the mayhem that is Bombay's streets around midday, it is almost always possible to get a glimpse of something rather spectacular (or Mumbai). 

The sight of hundreds of stainless steel tiered tiffin boxes, also known as dhabbas, piled high on handcarts and bicycles and being transported around the streets by people wearing white caps and dhotis and being referred to as tiffin wallahs is a common one in India.

The Mumbai Tiffin Box Suppliers' Association is responsible for efficiently managing the invaluable daily service provided by armies of tiffin wallahs, which more than 200,000 stressed office workers utilize in the city of Mumbai. This service entails the prompt delivery of piping-hot lunches that have been made at home.

A significant number of workers reside at least 50 kilometers from their place of employment, resulting in a lengthy journey on a crowded train. There is no way that the person who prepares meals in the house will have time to make a full supper before they leave the house. 

Therefore, the lunches in their respective tiffin boxes are collected later in the morning, color-coded, and transported to the station, where the tiffin wallahs collect them. The responsibility of the tiffin wallahs is to ensure that each box is delivered at the location designated for it when the contents of the box are still piping hot off the pan. 

In addition, they are expected to bring the empty tiffin back to the house before the conclusion of the working day. These workers have an excellent 99.99% success record because the company is built on the vital core principles of timeliness, teamwork, honesty, and sincerity, which serve as the organization's backbone.

The tiffin wallahs have gained such a high level of respect that they are now frequently asked to deliver speeches to large corporations and have been invited as honored guests to royal weddings in the United Kingdom. 

Because of the high level of faith placed in them, it is common practice for employees to deposit their pay within a clean tiffin box as it makes its way back to the office rather than taking the danger of transporting money on the commuter train.

At Sadia's Tiffin Service, we strive to provide the best Indian tiffin service in Mississauga. Our tiffins are freshly made with high-quality ingredients and traditional cooking techniques. Each tiffin is packed with various delicious and nutritious Indian dishes, perfect for a satisfying lunch or dinner. 

Experience the taste of the best Indian tiffin service in Mississauga only at Sadia's Tiffin Service. Give us a try, and we know you will not be disappointed. Choose Sadia's Tiffin Service as the best go-to Indian tiffin service in Mississauga.