No. 42, Chowdary Nagar Main Road,
Valasaravakkam, Chennai-87
Cell: 78109 86933 / 78108 96933 / 93810 61000
E-mail: kumaarholidays1.com
Website: www.kumaarholidays.com
Kerala history is closely linked with its commerce, which
in turn was wholly dependant until recent times on its spice trade.
Kerala was known for its spices and traders travelled here to trade and
to gain control over this rich land. It is believed that the spice trade
dates back to three thousand years. Pepper still remains the king of
Kerala's spices, but the state also rich in cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg,
ginger and turmeric. As in the past , the state continues to be the
spice capital of the world.
Over twelve varieties of spices including ginger, garlic,
cardamom, vannilla, pepper, cinnamon, coffee, tea, clove and nutmeg is
cultivated in Munnar and its neighbouring villages.
Cardamom
Scientific name:
Elletteria cardamomum
Best altitude for cultivation :
1500 Mtsabove sea-level.
Temperature :
10°C - 25°C.
Rainfall required : 1500 mm.
Propagation : Seedlings and vegetative propagation.
Pollinating agent : The honey bee.
Harvest season : October to February.
A cardamom plant normally starts bearing capsules from the
third year of planting. The harvested capsules are rubbed on wire mesh
and polished before they are graded and stored in polythene-gunny bags
to retain the green colour and to avoid exposure to moisture.
Pepper
Scientific name :
Piper nigrum
Temperature : Tolerance -10° C to 40° C. (Optimum -20°C to 30°C)
Rainfall required : 2500 mm.
Propagation : Stem cutting.
Important varieties : Panniyur -1, Karimunda, Kuthiravally, Arakkulam Munda, Balankotta and Kalluvally.
The pepper plant grows best in a warm and humid climate.
Berries mature and are ready for harvest in about 180 to 200 days. Black
pepper is produced by sundrying the mature pepper berries for 3 - 5
days after they are separated from the spikes by threshing and white
pepper by retting mature berries in clean water for 5 - 7 days, removing
the outer skin and drying the seed after thorough washing.
Clove
Scientific name :
Eugenia caryophyllus
Clove trees begin to bear flowers 7-8 years after planting.
Unopened flower buds are carefully picked when they turn from green to
pink. The buds are then allowed to dry for 4-5 days till they become
crisp and dark brown in colour.
Scientific name :
Vanilla fragrans :
Rainfall required : 1500 -3000 mm
Propagation : Shoot cutting.
Pollination : Artificial.
The
rostellum of the flower is pushed back with a pointed bamboo splinter
and the overhanging anther is pressed against the stigma with the thumb,
thus smearing pollen over it. The ideal time for pollination is 0600 to
1300 hrs.
A tropical orchid, this requires a warm climate with frequent
rains. Vanilla grows best in uncleared jungle areas where it can get
filtered sunlight. A creeper, the plant requires support up to height of
about 135 cm. The plant usually begins to flower by the third year. The
bean takes 10 to 12 months to reach full maturity.
Cinnamon
Scientific name :
Cinnamon zeylanicum
Cinnamon plants are ready for harvest about 3 years after
planting. Harvesting is done twice in a year - in May and November. The
bark of the cut down shoots is split on the day of harvest itself and
dried in the sun for 2 - 5 days. The dry quills or bark are packed in
bundles for trade. Leaves and tender twigs are used for extraction of
oil by distillation.
Nutmeg
Scientific name :
Myristica fragrans
The Nutmeg tree bears fruit throughout the year, but peak
harvest season is from December to May. The nuts split open when the
fruits are fully ripe. After dehusking, the red feathery aril (mace) is
removed, flattened out and dried in the sun for 10 - 15 days. The nuts
are dried separately for 4 - 8 weeks till the kernels rattle within the
shells.
GINGER
Ginger is the rhizome of the plant "Zingiber officinale", consumed as a delicacy, medicine, or spice. It is from the family "Zingiberaceae".
Other notable members of this plant family are turmeric, cardamom, and
galangal. Ginger cultivation began in South Asia and has since spread to
East Africa and the Caribbean. It is sometimes called root ginger to
distinguish it from other things that share the name ginger. Ginger
produces a hot, fragrant kitchen spice. Ginger powder is also used in
certain food preparations, particularly for pregnant or nursing women.
Fresh ginger is used for treating acute bacterial dysentery, baldness,
malaria, poisonous snake bites, rheumatism, migraine headache, and
toothaches. Dried ginger is used for chest pain, low back pain, and
stomach pain. Some people pour the fresh juice on their skin to treat
burns. The oil made from ginger is sometimes applied to the skin to
relieve pain.
GARLIC
"Allium sativum",
is the scientific name of garlic, is a species in the onion genus,
Allium. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, and
rakkyo. Dating back over 6,000 years, Garlic is widely used around the
world for its pungent flavor as a seasoning or condiment. Garlic is
rich in antioxidants,
which help destroy free radicals -- particles that can damage cell
membranes, interact with genetic material, and possibly contribute to
the aging process as well as the development of a number of conditions,
including heart disease and cancer. Free radicals occur naturally in the
body, but environmental toxins (including ultraviolet light, radiation,
cigarette smoke, and air pollution) can also increase the number of
these damaging particles. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals and may
reduce or even help prevent some of the damage they cause over time.
COME & ENJOY MUNNAR
THE AIR IS FULL OF SPICES
KUMAAR HOLIDAYS
No. 42, Chowdary Nagar Main Road,
Valasaravakkam, Chennai-87
Cell: 78109 86933 / 78108 96933 / 93810 61000
E-mail: kumaarholidays1.com
Website: www.kumaarholidays.com
