India, May 18 -- It looks like something straight out of a premium apothecary: tiny colourful sugar-coated fennel seeds tucked inside vintage-style tins, described on Instagram as a perfect gift "for your neighbor, your friend, your boss... and a few for yourself." But when images of this chic packaging hit X (formerly Twitter), many Indians couldn't help but chuckle, because what they saw wasn't a new-age luxury product. It was saunf.

The brand, Paro, is offering these tins of "candied fennel seeds" on its website for a steep Rs.2,800 for an 8-pack or Rs.2,520 on subscription. The marketing calls it "grounded in grandmotherhood," but to many Indians, the product sparked nostalgic memories of train rides and free post-meal saunf from dha...