Agriculture of Kerala
Coconuts
in Kerala are used extensively in the delicious cuisine of this state. The
juice of the tender coconut is drunk fresh, the soft flesh of the tender
coconut is eaten raw, and the mature flesh is grated and added to curries or
added as garnishing in either fresh or fried form. Coconut oil is extracted
from the dry flesh of the coconut and is used for cooking. The distinctive
taste of coconut oil adds a special touch to the cuisine of Kerala. The dried
and desiccated flesh of the coconut, called copra, is stored for use in cookery
and as offerings in temples. A favorite drink made in Kerala is toddy or
fermented palm wine, which is extracted from the coconut palm. Coconuts in
Kerala are essential for the preparation of favorite dishes such as coconut chutney,
avial (mixed vegetable curry) and fish moilee. A true Malayalee cannot imagine
what life would be like without coconuts in Kerala. You can taste the delicious
cuisine of Kerala, of which coconut is an essential element, on tours of
Kerala, with Kerala Backwater.
Coconut Trees in Kerala
The
coconut tree (Cocosnucifera) is a very important part of the landscape,
traditional lifestyle and economy of Kerala, as you will see when you travel to
Kerala with Kerala Backwater.
Every
part of the coconut tree is used in some way. The many uses of the fruit have
been described above. The trunk of the coconut tree is used for its wood to
make beams in traditional houses and the coconut palm's leaves are used to
thatch houses and weave mats, baskets and other useful household items. The
husk of the coconut is used to produce coir, which is woven into ropes,
doormats and furnishing material. The curved shell of the coconut is used to
make spoons and ladles. Every part of the coconut tree is put to some use. Coconuts
in Kerala, are more than just a beautiful part of the landscape or an essential
element in Kerala cuisine.
Coconut
trees are essential to the traditional lifestyle and livelihood of the people
of Kerala, as you will see when you travel on Kerala tours with Kerala
Backwater.
Rubber tapping in Kerala
The
rubber plant is not a native plant of India. Dutch colonialists who also
cultivated rubber in their plantations in Indonesia introduced the rubber plant
to Kerala, India, because of its similar tropical climate. The Rubber plant
(its botanical name is Haveabrasiliensis) produces sticky, white latex that is
collected and processed to produce natural rubber. A rubber plant has to grow
for about seven years before it can be tapped on a regular basis. A rubber tree
can be productive for over 20 years. Rubber trees are characterized by their
straight trunks and smooth green leaves. The rubber is harvested by rubber
tappers who make a long curving cut on the outer bark of the trunk of the
rubber tree. The latex from within the tree seeps to the surface of the cut and
trickles down the cut into a container, tied to the tree by the rubber tapper.
Every morning the rubber tapper empties the cup tied to each tree, in the area
of the plantation that he works in. After a few days he will make another cut
just above or below the first cut, thus extracting more latex from the rubber
tree. Eventually after about 20 years the rubber tree will stop producing
latex, upon which a new tree is planted in its place.
Apart
from rubber trees other plants grown alongside include spices, areca nut and
cashew. You can see the local farmers and plantation workers tending and
harvesting the crops on rubber plantations in Kerala, while on nature tours in
Kerala.
Tea Plantations in Kerala
On
Kerala tours, as you travel to the hill ranges of the Western Ghats in Kerala,
you'll find some of the highest tea estates in India in and around Munnar. Tea
plantations and tea cultivation were introduced to Kerala by British settlers
in colonial times, when they found that the temperature and soil conditions of
the hill ranges of Kerala were suited to tea cultivation. India is today the
world's largest tea producer and exporter.
Tea
cultivation in Kerala
The
tea plant (Camellia sinensis) was introduced to India by the British during
colonial times. The bush has shiny green leaves with pointed ends and have a
pleasant aroma. Take a deep breath as you walk through a tea plantation in
Kerala and you can feel the fragrance of tea invigorate you. Tea bushes will
grow to tree height in the wild. On plantations however tea bushes are
maintained at waist height so the leaves can be plucked easily. Tea picking is
carried out by hand, usually by groups of women. Their agile fingers pick only
the bud and first two leaves of each shoot and place them in a basket slung
behind their backs. The women often sing as they work to help them sustain a
rhythm as they move along the rows of tea bushes. The tea leaves are processed
after plucking and sorted into categories based on fermentations and other
processing treatments. The three broad classifications of tea are - Green Tea,
Oolong Tea and Black Tea.
Apart
from tea bushes other plants grown on tea plantations include pepper, cardamom,
cashew, and areca nut. The shade trees grown to shelter tea bushes are also
harvested for their fruit. You can see the see the process of tea picking and
processing on tea plantations in Kerala, while on nature tours in Kerala.
Spice Plantations
Kerala
is known for its fabulous spices. Traders from ancient Phoenicia made tours to
Kerala to carry back its aromatic spices to Mediterranean lands. Pepper,
cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and more… the spices of Kerala were used in
the West to all flavors to food and wine and to preserve meat during the cold
European winter.
Spices
can be defined as "aromatic substances of vegetable origin, used for
flavoring food or as a preservative." Many spices are also known to have
medicinal value, for instance turmeric is a known anti-oxidant and curry leaf
can control prevent diabetes.
The
East India Companies of various European powers - the Portuguese, the Dutch,
the French and the English fought over possession of the trade routes and the
precious spice plantations of Kerala. Today you can simply take a tour with
Kerala Backwater and find yourself enjoying the hospitality of the spice
plantations of Kerala on Kerala tours.
The
spice plantations of Kerala are fascinating farms to wander in, for different
sections of each plantation are dedicated to different spices. Apart from
spices traditionally grown in India such as pepper, cinnamon, ginger and
cardamom farmers in Kerala have taken to growing spices that are used
worldwide. Some of the spices cultivated in spice plantations are vanilla,
oregano, rosemary, thyme, basil, mint, bay leaf and sage.
Take
a trip to the spice plantations of Kerala and feel transported into a green
paradise. Walk through the aromatic spice gardens where the air is laden with
the fragrance of nature's bounty. Some spice plantations in Kerala offer
tourists accommodation in the lodges and mansions on the plantation. Guest can
stay with the plantations owner's family and enjoy home cooked traditional
Kerala cuisine and witness the activities of the spice plantation. Go for
nature walks and bird watching treks, wander through the plantations, taste the
various spices and breathe in the fragrant air on Kerala tours of the spice
plantations of Kerala with Kerala Backwater. The tranquil spice plantations of
Kerala are a refreshingly different eco tourism option among Kerala tours.
