Some culinary searches last a lifetime and end nowhere. My sandwich spread hunt would’ve gone the same way. For me, the defining readymade sandwich memory dates back to when I was 12. My aunt, now in Bengaluru, held a power job in Abu Dhabi. Generous of heart, she’d come back with Duty-Free bags, holding among other goodies, the precious Kraft cheese and a tinned sandwich spread with a hint of herb and tiny chunks of chicken. Not too mayonnaise-y, not too bland. For the next few weeks, my frugal lunch box would carry “Gulf” sandwiches, not Venky’s chicken nuggets.

A chance decision to pick up a bottle each of Chunky Continental Chicken Spread and Creamy Butter Chicken Spread (Rs 199 for 200gm) from meat ecommerce startup Licious, took me back to that lunchtime. The cracked pepper and hint of garlic, I liked, and although it came in a bottle, it didn’t taste “packaged”. The other varieties, which I haven’t tried, include Honey mustard chicken, Butter garlic prawns and Shawarma chicken, and the brand’s official website claims that the spreads are preservative-free and best eaten within 30 days. I thought the single-serve peel back packs were convenient (Rs 29). Adding a few spoonfulls of the Continental Chicken Spread to penne may make a jhat pat alfredo pasta of sorts, I think. The butter chicken variant may sit better with the Indian palate given our love for the North Indian dish. The most obvious snack to rustle up with it is the kathi roll with leftover chapatis, but I am going to try spreading it on pita and adding a few slices of caramelised white onion and make it a pizza night.