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The
Spices of Munnar |
| 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. |
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Cardamom
Scientific
name: Elletteria cardamomum
Best altitude for cultivation : 1500 Mts above
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.
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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. |
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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.
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Vanilla
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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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Plantations
of Munnar |
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Tea
Scientific Name : Camillia
sinesis
Tea plantation South India are located on the Western
Ghats, the eastern part of central Kerala and adjoining
part of Tamil Nadu, usually at an elevation of 4300ft
to 6200 ft. above sea level. The high ranges of Munnar
were earlier known as Kannan Devan Hills, named after
a certain Kanan Devan who had been a landlord in the
Anchanad Valley on the Eastern side of the district.
Tea cultivation started on the Nilgiris in 1832 on
an experimental basis, and later in 1878 was taken
up on the Kanan Devan Hills in Munnar. Today, tea
is cultivated on 24,000 hectares of land in Munnar,
Peermade and Devikulam areas with an annual yield
of 50,000 metric tons. |
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Coffee
Coffee cultivation in
India dates back to 1600 AD when Ba Abadan, a Muslim
saint from the holy city of Mecca brought 7 precious
coffee seeds and sowed them in the Chandragiri Hills
near Chikmangalore in Karnataka. The main varieties
of coffee cultivated today are Robusta and Arabica.
Coffee plantations occupy 15,400 hectares in Devikulam
, Peermade, Thodupuzha and Udumpanchola taluks of
Idukki. The average yield per hectare is 320 metric
tons. |
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