Section 5 of 6
Spice Regions
What grows where is decided by rainfall, altitude, drainage and shade rather than by cuisine. These entries follow the crop to the ground that suits it, and then to the grading floor.
Entries in this section
4 entries-
19
The Western GhatsPepper, cardamom and the rainfall and altitude that decide where they grow.
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20
Dry-zone cropsChilli, turmeric and coriander on quite different ground.
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21
Ground and wholeVolatile oils leave once a spice is broken, which is the whole argument.
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22
Trade and godownsStorage and grading as the part of the trade nobody photographs.
As register rows
All 25 entries| № | Tradition | Region | Worked by | Material | What holds it up, or how it is made |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 | The Western Ghats | Malabar and the Cardamom Hills | Smallholders and estate pickers | Vine and understorey herb | Rainfall, altitude and shade decide what will grow |
| 20 | Dry-zone crops | The Deccan plateau and Tamil Nadu | Smallholders and graders | Rhizome, pod and seed | Dry ground, hard sun and a drying floor |
| 21 | Ground and whole | Trading towns of the south | Graders and merchants | Whole spice | Volatile oil leaves as soon as the spice is broken |
| 22 | Trade and godowns | Kochi and the port towns | Graders, sorters and merchants | Sacks, floors and scales | Sorted by size, density and moisture before it is sold |