Spice garden - Thekaddy

Nov 2014....Thekaddy

Kerala is famous for a lot of things, a wide variety of spices is one of them. A visit to the spice garden brought us close to the very familiar culinary aromas that waft in our homes from time to time. As you enter the spice garden you don't know what hits you first - the verdant green foliage or the cocktail of aromas that are in the air.

You can't miss the ubiquitous bananas though ;-)

And then begins, a fun enquiry by Taj (our guide) who quizzes us on our knowledge, we learn to look high & low, the brain cogs get a whirl and a whoop sounds when someone cracks the question. The pepper pods are green - they are dried to get the famous black pepper. The plant is a climber and it relies on the thorns of the host tree which is planted only so that the pepper can climb upwards & onwards! Spot the pods in picture below :-)

 

If pepper is there can cardamom be far behind in God's own country? We were really surprised to see that the green gold actually grows very close to the ground level where the stalk meets the soil. The taste and aroma of a fresh sweet freshly picked cardamom is hard to beat.

 

 

 

Meet the treasure from under ground - yellow gold. Meet the wonder spice that is turmeric.

 

 



Sweet cinnamon bark & curry patta :)

The cocoa tree which gives us the Theobroma - Gift of the gods, aka -chocolate. The pods are collected , cut and beans extracted, dried & roasted.

 

 

Coffee beans freshly picked up by the two ladies smiling shyly below. For the dainty damsels the gum boots are a must to protect the feet from the mushy ground and leeches.

So after a round of hot latte- what next? Well there was lemon grass (herbal tea anyone?), chilli & clove (fresh buds) & not the dried hard black version. Interestingly the leaves of the clove tree are equally aromatic and if rubbed you do get the familiar aroma of clove. The flower dries up to result in the dried bud which is used commercially.

You can pick up spices from Thekkady (at a more reasonable price than anywhere else in India) and they spices are really potent  & are very smoothly shipped off overseas. We also shopped for allspice (alternate for our garam masala), dried preserved ginger (sooths throat), and concentrated extracts of essences. All in all a great half day getting to know where our spices come from.

Magical Munnar

There's more to Kerala than backwaters and houseboats. The magic of misty mountains and tea gardens of Munnar have been shared with us (much to our delight) via the many Indian movies through the years.

 An alternative to walking or driving is to procure bicycles from the local shop and go for a breezy merry ride along the pretty countryside!

The route from Trivandrum airport is long winding and the road is a busy one. The bends are not too sharp but the air and temperature change is palpable.

The hotel where we stayed had very courteous staff. Stick to usual fare instead of what is listed on the menu. Don't miss sampling the soup - it will provide much needed nourishment and warmth given the cold weather not unlike the heaters in our room! We actually asked for extra blankets since both roomies were prone to clogged sinuses!

Bright n Sunny start to the day

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Delicious Hot Chocolate

Eating at a local stall is strongly recommended - the local fare is spicy and includes fried fresh water fish as well as the very healthy warm coloured water served with meals in Kerala.

Sunset colours

Needless to say it has a mini central market (busy all day) and a humongous tea shop from KDHP. In your rush to shop, don't miss the local cocoa shop and sample hot chocolate.

Mists come rolling in

 It is one of the cleanest and greenest places in India. The hillside is neatly decorated with tea gardens and you can run into a merry waterfall surprisingly soon from the last one spotted!

Due to it's height, the day sun is sharp and a hat is recommended if you are walking / trekking. Like any hill station the mists come rolling down the hills post 2pm and can completely obscure visibility. A good wind cheater / sweat shirt is highly recommended irrespective of the time of year you opt to visit. A good beanie or head scarf is recommended for those prone to cold.

The tea bushes and leaves appear robust but are delicate. So much as you wish to pose for pictures please tread gently.   

Eravikulam National Park

There is a national park tucked away in Munnar.
Yes it's one of the off the beaten paths, tucked away from the famous tea garden verdant hillsides. We were lucky to be present when the park was open. The ticket queue gets long so try to reach early.

 

Food is not available inside the park area so do carry plenty of water. You can do an easy ramble around 3 to 5 kms. 

The paths are neat and road is in good condition. Botanical specialties are called out along the way. Depending on the time of the year you are visiting a variety of birds can be spotted. November sadly did not have too many except the usual warblers, drongos and kites. 

Spot the Lion

 The park has a unique hill which resembles the lion's head at a particular angle. It makes for a great photo op for visitors.

Nilgiri Tahr

The national park is famous for the Nilgiri Tahr - a kind of mountain goat. It's fairly shy and sure footed. They usually are seen in small packs.

Moving on

Out for a stroll

M and the Lion of the Mountain

The fog rolls down

Walking back to beat the mists

The sweatshirt was a good idea - eventually!

Fresh Farmer's Mart

There is an option to be driven back if you cannot walk down. However it's a gentle climb and descent so suggest you exercise your legs a we bit.


On coming back to the entrance, you can sample some fresh fruits and local veggies.

The trip to explore the small national park takes around 3-4 hours. Do keep half a day trip to account for getting to and fro. Enjoy and respect the nature's hospitality!