A magic encounter with the Princess of Spices.

A magic encounter with the Princess of Spices

Source Article - http://mayapott.com/blog

" I would never describe it as spicy. Cinnamon is spicy. Ginger is spicy. Cardamom is not. I am at a loss for how else to describe the mysterious and exotic cardamom. No wonder the Arabs and the Europeans fought each other and among themselves to own this princess of the east."   





 It was indeed a one of a kind experience to walk amongst the green canopy of tall trees, listening to the exotic sounds and songs of birds; beneath the green canopy is the manicured and verdant cardamom plants. The aroma of the spices has always stimulated my mood, the color of a real red chilly is irresistible to any ordinary Indian palate and eyes; especially the aroma of cardamom – the princess among spices. On her behest a lot many wars must have been fought by the erstwhile kings.

After watching the movie “The Mistress of Spices” during a lone weekend I have decided that I should plan my next holiday to the spice villages in the Gods own country – Kerala. And Thekkady was a natural choice as it offered me a two-fold benefit of making an encounter with spices as well as going for a wild life expedition trek. However my priority was to the encounter with spices. While searching online for accommodations in Thekkady for several hours I ended at a point – Mayapott; a mystery point. A unique plantation heritage bungalow near the Periyar wild life sanctuary and at the heart of the Spice Villages of Idukki district.

My typical day started with a walk at 6:30 am, after sipping a cup of freshly brewed tea flavored with cardamom. It was a unique experience sipping the tea by the gurgling stream, a host of birds giving you company as if they have flown in to greet you a fine morning. The walk along the plantation trails was a walk of more than two hours to & fro leading to the curing centre. I always had thought that they used to pick the fruits from the top branches of the cardamom plant; As I had a close look at the plant for the first time, I noticed several stems at the bottom of the plants adorned with young green fruits and white-purple heart shaped flowers. And I could also see that a battalion of honey bees collecting the early morning nectar from the flowers before other lazy insects and bees could drop in. They were really doing a very responsible job, hovering from one flower to the other. I learned from the accompanying guide staff that the honey bees help in the pollination process more than the honey collection. Oh! What a simple link in the age old natural eco-chain. And it seems that if the number of bees dwindled during a certain period it can predict an infection to the plants in the near future. In a simple ecology everything relates to everything.

  I spend a quality time appreciating the cute tiny flower. At a glance it looked like a beautiful ear stud matching to my favorite pink chiffon saree I usually wear during weekend special celebrations in college. I tasted the fresh fruits offered by John, both young and the matured. The young fruits had several soft white seeds while the matured ones gave me a mellow sweet taste with black seeds in it. I cracked a couple of seeds in the mouth, within seconds the sweet wholesome aroma was playing different notes of low and high, creating a symphony of aroma to my taste buds that I had never ever experienced. The taste and scent of cardamom is hard to describe. It's very distinct and unique. If you're familiar with it, there is no mistaking it. If you're not familiar, then you might say it's floral with a hint a ginger. I would never describe it as spicy. Cinnamon is spicy. Ginger is spicy. Cardamom is not. I am at a loss for how else to describe the mysterious and exotic cardamom. No wonder the Arabs and the Europeans fought each other and among themselves to own this princess of the east.   

   

As I continued my morning walk, watching the organic fencing of hibiscus with lots of red and pink flowers, swaying and swinging in the morning breeze among the foliage of dark green leaves. I reached the cardamom curing centre (the oven place) and suddenly the irresistible aroma around me created a million goose bumps as if the princess of cardamom had tossed her magic wand around me, the aphrodisiac and appetizing flavor of cardamom wafted the whole air. There everyone breathed cardamom. Nothing else.    I felt light, exhilarated, my nostrils and taste buds could not but just give in to her majesty’s magic aura taking me to a mesmerizing world of enchantment. I went around the huge ovens that dried the fresh fruits and then to the polishing mills, and next to the special old house where women seated in the red oxide verandah sorted the dried cardamom in different sizes.

During my stay at Mayapott, I made almost three visits to the curing centre along the cardamom trails only to feel engulfed in the magic aroma of her majesty – the Princess of Spices.