Join us as we tour the country on its many spice tours
and workshops that not just give us glimpses into the wonderful world of
spices, but also help us understand why spice is India’s ‘thing’!
By Raul Dias
‘Think India, think spice’. Now, there, is one maxim,
that has continually defined the subcontinent and all its exotica-laced
offerings—from the times of the ancient spice trade, right up to today. A maxim
that brought about a new identity and one that changed the country in myriad
ways, some good and some, well...not so good!
Right from the Mughal invasions to lucre-greedy, mercenary colonialists to the modern day ‘spice tourist’—all sought (and continue to seek) out India’s bounty of spices that truly runneth over. Each launching elaborate quests to replenish their spice cache with India’s edible gold.
And while tomes have been written about the country’s erstwhile spice conquests, we focus our attention on the newest ‘invasion’ aka. spice tours and workshops. A truly burgeoning vertical of the world food tourism industry today, according to the latest UN world tourism report.
Here are a few such spice tours and workshops that will help you see beyond just peppercorns and cardamoms:
Right from the Mughal invasions to lucre-greedy, mercenary colonialists to the modern day ‘spice tourist’—all sought (and continue to seek) out India’s bounty of spices that truly runneth over. Each launching elaborate quests to replenish their spice cache with India’s edible gold.
And while tomes have been written about the country’s erstwhile spice conquests, we focus our attention on the newest ‘invasion’ aka. spice tours and workshops. A truly burgeoning vertical of the world food tourism industry today, according to the latest UN world tourism report.
Here are a few such spice tours and workshops that will help you see beyond just peppercorns and cardamoms:
Green
Land Spice Garden Tour, Thekkady
Slap bang in the middle of Kerala’s spice wonderland of Thekkady and located at the foot of a gentle hill is the wonderful, arboreal Green Land Spice Garden. Here, one can partake in a guided spice lesson that seems almost like a crash course in all things spice! Led by Tigin a very knowledgeable local lad who takes you through everything that is grown and foraged in the meandering spice garden. From the de rigueur cardamom and clove trees to the more exotic cassia and nutmeg, you’re given a crash course in how spices are grown, harvested and then packaged. Speaking of which, at the attached spice shop, you can tank up on all your favourite spices like mace, cinnamon quills and the fragrant allspice to take back home.
Cost: Rs. 100 per person
Duration: 1 hour
Contact: greenlandspice@gmail.com
Slap bang in the middle of Kerala’s spice wonderland of Thekkady and located at the foot of a gentle hill is the wonderful, arboreal Green Land Spice Garden. Here, one can partake in a guided spice lesson that seems almost like a crash course in all things spice! Led by Tigin a very knowledgeable local lad who takes you through everything that is grown and foraged in the meandering spice garden. From the de rigueur cardamom and clove trees to the more exotic cassia and nutmeg, you’re given a crash course in how spices are grown, harvested and then packaged. Speaking of which, at the attached spice shop, you can tank up on all your favourite spices like mace, cinnamon quills and the fragrant allspice to take back home.
Cost: Rs. 100 per person
Duration: 1 hour
Contact: greenlandspice@gmail.com
Spice
Walk through Gariahat, Kolkata
Putting a more practical spin on spices, this highly interactive tour not only introduces you to the milieu of spices that go into a traditional Bengali meal, but also gives you a taste of the amalgamation of spices, culminating in an elaborate spice-centric meal. On this tour, you will visit a local bazaar in the Gariahat neighbourhood for an immersive introduction to the various spices and ingredients that are used in this part of the country. Especially the pungent, beloved shorshe or mustard seeds that is part of the panch phoron quintet which also includes cumin, fennel, fenugreek, and nigella seeds. The tour ends with a lunch of a thala– a multi-course platter comprising a full Bengali traditional meal at a local restaurant.
Cost: Rs. 4,500 per person
Duration: 3 hours
Contact: www.kolkatamagic.com, deepa@magictoursofindia.com
Putting a more practical spin on spices, this highly interactive tour not only introduces you to the milieu of spices that go into a traditional Bengali meal, but also gives you a taste of the amalgamation of spices, culminating in an elaborate spice-centric meal. On this tour, you will visit a local bazaar in the Gariahat neighbourhood for an immersive introduction to the various spices and ingredients that are used in this part of the country. Especially the pungent, beloved shorshe or mustard seeds that is part of the panch phoron quintet which also includes cumin, fennel, fenugreek, and nigella seeds. The tour ends with a lunch of a thala– a multi-course platter comprising a full Bengali traditional meal at a local restaurant.
Cost: Rs. 4,500 per person
Duration: 3 hours
Contact: www.kolkatamagic.com, deepa@magictoursofindia.com
The Food
Bazaars Tour, Old Delhi (Rs. 2,600 per person)
This early morning spice tour—that is part of the newly launched Airbnb Trips’ portfolio of curated experiences—starts off with a visit to Daryaganj’s vegetable market where you can interact with vendors and get an insight into some of the most commonly prepared Indian dishes. Things will take a spicier turn at Khari Baoli where Anubhav Sapra, one of the city’s leading authorities on food and spices of Delhi Food Walks will help you understand Indian spices and condiments while you get a perfect view of Old Delhi. A breakfast of the turmeric- and red chilli powder-laden bedmi poori along with the cardamom-redolent nagori halwa and tea or lassi, finishes off this very informative journey into the spicy realm of one of the city’s oldest neighbourhoods.
Cost: Rs. 2,600 per person
Duration: 3 hours
Contact: www.delhifoodwalks.com
This early morning spice tour—that is part of the newly launched Airbnb Trips’ portfolio of curated experiences—starts off with a visit to Daryaganj’s vegetable market where you can interact with vendors and get an insight into some of the most commonly prepared Indian dishes. Things will take a spicier turn at Khari Baoli where Anubhav Sapra, one of the city’s leading authorities on food and spices of Delhi Food Walks will help you understand Indian spices and condiments while you get a perfect view of Old Delhi. A breakfast of the turmeric- and red chilli powder-laden bedmi poori along with the cardamom-redolent nagori halwa and tea or lassi, finishes off this very informative journey into the spicy realm of one of the city’s oldest neighbourhoods.
Cost: Rs. 2,600 per person
Duration: 3 hours
Contact: www.delhifoodwalks.com
John’s
Boat Tours, Ponda, Goa
The central Goan temple town of Ponda is famous for having a large concentration of spice plantations, growing everything from nutmeg, cardamom, cinnamon, black and white pepper to coriander, chilies, and betel nut. The most popular of these plantations being Rustic Plantation, Savoi Plantation, Tropical Spice Plantation, Sahakari Spice Plantation, Pascoal Spice Farms and Abyss Spice Farms. And while it may seem like a daunting task to try to visit all of them, John’s Boat Tours comes up with specially customised spice tours that you can design, riding in his boat, in order to reach the spice plantation. Once at the farms, while you sip on a herbal drink, you get to see the art of how spices are grown, especially the betel nut, where pluckers climb these trees, over a hundred feet above the ground and then sway from tree to tree.
Cost: Depends on customisation
Duration: Full day
Contact: www.johnboattours.com
The central Goan temple town of Ponda is famous for having a large concentration of spice plantations, growing everything from nutmeg, cardamom, cinnamon, black and white pepper to coriander, chilies, and betel nut. The most popular of these plantations being Rustic Plantation, Savoi Plantation, Tropical Spice Plantation, Sahakari Spice Plantation, Pascoal Spice Farms and Abyss Spice Farms. And while it may seem like a daunting task to try to visit all of them, John’s Boat Tours comes up with specially customised spice tours that you can design, riding in his boat, in order to reach the spice plantation. Once at the farms, while you sip on a herbal drink, you get to see the art of how spices are grown, especially the betel nut, where pluckers climb these trees, over a hundred feet above the ground and then sway from tree to tree.
Cost: Depends on customisation
Duration: Full day
Contact: www.johnboattours.com
Tadka Workshop, Mumbai
Taking a very unique approach to enhance our understanding of spices, the Tadka Workshop by food historian Rushina Munshaw-Ghildiyal of APB Cook Studio focusses on the all-important tadka or tempering of spices which is a distinguishing feature of Indian cooking. This workshop which includes a spice market visit, is an ode to the great Indian tadka, and is designed to help you provoke new and interesting flavours in everyday cooking. Topics here range from spice immersion sessions to hands-on Indian home cooking classes using regional Indian spices.
Cost: Rs. 3,000 onwards per person
Duration: 4 hours
Contact: www.apbcookstudio.com, info@apbcookstudio.com
Walk
Through Spice Market, Chennai
Leading you through the fascinating world of south Indian spices, this tour takes place twice a day; at around 9am and 2pm. The trail takes you through the local markets of Chennai and helps demystify the unique usage of spices such as cardamom, coriander, turmeric, tamarind and asafoetida and how they add flavour to south Indian cuisine. You not only get to handpick fresh vegetables and home-made spices in the presence of expert guides, but you also learn the art of mixing them in the correct proportions. The tour ends with a spice-redolent meal prepared by you under the guidance of a local chef.
Cost: Rs. 9,500 onwards per person
Duration: 4 hours
Contact: www.thrillophilia.com
Leading you through the fascinating world of south Indian spices, this tour takes place twice a day; at around 9am and 2pm. The trail takes you through the local markets of Chennai and helps demystify the unique usage of spices such as cardamom, coriander, turmeric, tamarind and asafoetida and how they add flavour to south Indian cuisine. You not only get to handpick fresh vegetables and home-made spices in the presence of expert guides, but you also learn the art of mixing them in the correct proportions. The tour ends with a spice-redolent meal prepared by you under the guidance of a local chef.
Cost: Rs. 9,500 onwards per person
Duration: 4 hours
Contact: www.thrillophilia.com
Ever
heard of these Indian spices?
·
Radhuni: The dried-up fruit of wild celery,
radhuni is a rather curious spice
that looks like ajwain (caraway
seed), smells like parsley, but tastes like celery!
·
Jaiur: Found mainly in the north-eastern
states of India, jaiur aka. winged
prickly ash seeds start off with slight lemony overtones when chewed, the
create a tingly numbness in the mouth that sets the final stage for searing
heat.
·
Kodampuli: A dried berry like fruit, kodampuli is found in Kerala and is a
great souring agent, much like tamarind and kokum,
but with a sweetish-smoky aftertaste.
·
Jakhiya: With a sharp pungent smell and
crunchy taste, jakhiya is preferred over
cumin and mustard seeds for tempering dals
in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand.
·
Ratanjot: A dried herb grown in Himachal
Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, ratanjot
is used to add a crimson hue to regional dishes like the Kashmiri rogan josh.
·
Maratti moggu: The unopened flower bud of
the red silk cotton tree, the mustard-meets-black pepper spice of maratti moggu is indigenous to the
Chettinad region of Tamil Nadu and is used dishes like Karnataka’s bisi bele baath.
(An edited version of this article first appeared in the August 2017 issue of Jetwings Domestic in-flight magazine of Jet Airwayshttp://www.jetairways.com/EN/IN/jetexperience/magazines.aspx)
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