The Western Ghats overlooking rice fields in Kerala. The mountainous regions of South India are home to extensive tea plantations. The cultivation of tea (Camellia sinensis), a shrub native to East and Southeast Asia, was introduced during British colonial rule. Photographs courtesy of the author
«This fall, several of my colleagues shared tales from their summer travels. My summer adventures took me to paradise. Well, paradise from a medieval perspective. I traveled to Kerala, a coastal state on the southwest tip of India. Kerala is known as the land of spices because of its role as a major producer and exporter of spices for thousands of years. »
Many of the exorbitantly expensive spices of the medieval spice trade, such as black pepper (Piper nigrum) and turmeric (Curcuma longa), originated in this region. Medieval Europeans had vague, far-fetched notions of Asia and an extravagant love of Asian spices. As these luxurious, fragrant, edible delights and miraculous medicines emerged from the East, the average medieval European mistakenly believed paradise lay to the east.
Kerala has long allured international travelers to its pristine beaches and Ayurvedic medicinal retreats, but, in addition to these attractions, Kerala is an epicurean's paradise. Keralites have absorbed and blended diverse culinary traditions to create truly unique flavors. The fiery cuisine of South India, one of my favorites, liberally blends old-world and new-world flavors. Every morning during my time there, I enjoyed a traditional South Indian breakfast of dosa, a crisp, crepe-like bread made from fermented lentil and rice flour. The dosa was used to soak up a variety of coconut chutneys spiced with pungent capsicum pepper, tamarind, mustard, ginger, and curry leaves. My idea of a culinary paradise.
Along the Sham Valley trek in Ladakh, India
Leaving the invigorating monsoons of South India, we traveled north to Ladakh, which is referred to as the land of high passes. This region in the Indian Himalayas is rich in its Tibetan Buddhist heritage and traditional agriculture. After a few days acclimating to the altitude (3500 meters) and touring hilltop monasteries, we trekked through the Sham Valley, which is sometimes referred to as the "Apricot Valley" due to its productive stands of aging apricots. Despite having an average growing season lasting less than four months, Sham Valley residents continue to live primarily off the land. In one particularly remote and rugged area on our trek, our guide pointed out a small dwelling inhabited by a lone nun who subsisted solely on her orchard's apricots by drying the fruits and pressing their seeds to yield apricot oil.
The Ladakhis practice the ancient technique of pollarding to provide the building material for the roofs of their rammed-earth dwellings. The pollards, largely willow, are planted in terraces to control erosion and mark the boundaries of fields. Given the scarcity of resources and the short growing season, the Ladakhis grow an astounding diversity of herbs, vegetables, and grains. Every foot of arable land is irrigated via elaborate, hand-dug channels fed by snowmelt. The tenacity and resilience of the Ladakhi farmer is inspiring.
Workers in the fields outside of Yangthang village in Ladakh, India