Besides the eponymous karadantu, Belagavi is known for mandige or mande which is essentially a wafer-thin roomali like roti folded like a dosa filled with sugar, ghee and spices. According to historians, an inscription of 1121 CE of the Western Chalukya dynasty has mentioned that during the reign of Vikramaditya VI, Govinda-dandadhipa started the tradition of... Continue Reading →
Karadantu of Gokak and Aminagad
One of the healthiest and scrumptious sweets of North Karnataka is karadantu made in Gokak in Belgaum district and Aminagad in Bagalkot district. This teatime snack is made from dried fruits and nuts, jaggery (gur), a binder known locally as antu, spices and others. There are two versions on how this delightful sweet was created. Some... Continue Reading →
Changlang Areca nut
The surplus production of fruits, spices, vegetables, wild mushrooms, rare medicinal and aromatic herbs, paddy, wheat and others in the North Eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh is greatly attributed to the prevailing agro-climatic conditions. Arunachal can be divided into three regions climatically - temperate, subtropical and tropical with each zone cultivating certain crops. Changlang... Continue Reading →
Pal Therattipal (Paal Therattipal)
Pal therattipal is a traditional milk sweet that is said to have been first offered by Periyalvar in Srivilliputhur. This delicious sweet derives its name from the Tamil words pal (also written as paal) meaning milk and therattipal meaning the product obtained by constantly stirring and reducing the milk. Tamilians especially Tamil Brahmins define palkova and pal therattipal... Continue Reading →
Kishanganj Pineapple
Kishanganj district, located on the foothills of the Himalayas is famous for its jute and paddy. In recent years, small and marginal farmers of this district have started cultivating tea and pineapple that are much sought-after in the markets of Delhi, Lucknow, Meerut, Varanasi, West Bengal and others. Kishanganj has the ideal agro-climatic conditions... Continue Reading →
Mysuru Rasam
An iconic dish of South India known by its many names (saaru in Karnataka, rasam in Tamil Nadu and Kerala and chaaru in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh) is the ultimate comfort food and a sure cure for all ailments known to the universe! A staple of every South Indian's diet enjoyed with hot steaming rice and a... Continue Reading →
Gopalganj Papaya
Gopalganj district, located in the north-west corner of Bihar is one of the most important agricultural clusters of the state. Gopalganj, also known as Gannachal is blessed with the waters of the Gandak River and its tributaries, fertile alluvial soil and hot and dry climatic conditions that are ideal for the cultivation of sugarcane, wheat, rice,... Continue Reading →
Mangalore Buns (Banana Buns or Banana Pooris)
Udupi - Mangaluru is a food connoisseur's haven with a staggering variety of delicious, unusual and scrumptious local snacks. A trip to this stretch of Karnataka is deemed complete only if one samples the tasty Mangalore buns, goli baje, uppit shira, sajjige bajil, khara roti and biscuit roti. The origin of the Mangalore buns is a bit... Continue Reading →
Maddur Vada
A high point of a road trip to Mysuru is a slight deviation to Melkote to sample their divine butter and delicious puliyogare and a must-have Maddur vada with a piping hot cup of filter coffee at Maddur. Maddur, formerly known as Marudhur during the glorious reign of the Hoysala kings lies on the banks of... Continue Reading →
Dharwad Mango (Dharwad Alphonso)
Dharwad, popularly known as the Mango City of Karnataka and South India is famous for its sinfully sweet and delectable Alphonso mango. Besides Alphonso, Pairi, Totapuri and Dasheri is also grown in this belt in North Karnataka. It is estimated that over 25,000 hectares of land is under mango cultivation in this district. Small and... Continue Reading →
Sonitpur Jackfruit
The North Bank Plain Zone (NBPZ) of Assam comprising of Darrang, Dhemaji, Lakhimpur and Sonitpur districts is renowned for its high-quality tea, native rice varieties, pulses, maize, oilseeds and rich and diverse horticultural crops. The indigenous pineapple, jackfruit, banana, papaya, cabbage, Assam lemon, black pepper and others grown here are much sought-after in domestic and... Continue Reading →
Koppal Guava
It is perhaps not known to many that India is the largest producer of guava in the world with an average annual production of around 21 MT. Though a fair portion of the annual produce is consumed as a table fruit, Indian guava varieties are ideally suited for manufacturing fruit pulp, puree, juice, syrup, flavoured... Continue Reading →
Madhubani Makhana (Foxnut)
Lotus seeds, commonly known as makhana is mainly cultivated in Bihar, Assam and West Bengal with Bihar accounting for more than 85 percent of the total production in India. Also known as gorgon nut or foxnut, this superfood thrives in the agro-climatic conditions prevailing in the districts of Madhubani, Darbhanga, Sitamarhi, Saharsa, Katihar, Purnia, Supaul,... Continue Reading →
Soraba Pineapple (Shivamogga Pineapple)
Shimoga (Shivamogga), popularly called the 'Rice Bowl of Karnataka' is a picture-perfect lush green landscape dotted with waterfalls, paddy fields and palm groves. The waters of the Tungabhadra, Sharavati, Varada and Kumudavathi rivers and fertile alluvial soil contribute largely to the excellent agricultural produce of this district. Shimoga district is famous for its paddy,... Continue Reading →
Tawang Walnut
The North Eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh has earned well deserved accolades in the last five years for its excellent agri-horticultural produce, thriving food processing sector and strides in organic farming and certification that has changed the fortunes of small and marginal farmers in the state. As Arunachal is largely an agrarian economy, age-old... Continue Reading →
Chintamani Tomato (Chikkaballapur Tomato)
It is perhaps not known to many that Chintamani in the newly created Chikkaballapur district in Karnataka has some of the best agricultural produce of South India. Mangoes, bananas, peanuts, dairy products, bitter gourd, avarekai, sarsaparilla juice (nannari sharbat) and tomatoes are transported to the markets of nearby Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Tamil Nadu as... Continue Reading →
Mizo Passion Fruit
The geo-climatic condition of Mizoram has contributed largely to the wide variety of rich and assorted flora and fauna seen here. With agriculture being the mainstay of the people of Mizoram, exotic fruits, vegetables, spices, rice and others are grown here using the age-old method of jhum cultivation. Orange, banana, tomato, beans, brinjal, peas, squash,... Continue Reading →
Byadagi Garlic
Not many people are aware that Byadagi, a small town in Haveri district has one of the oldest markets selling some of the best agricultural produce of India. Though Byadagi is better-known for its world-famous vibrant red chillies, its garlic, jaggery, rice, turmeric and areca nut are par excellence! According to the locals, the... Continue Reading →
Totapuri Mango
One of the best midseason mangoes is Totapuri that is found largely in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Interestingly Totapuri also known as Ginimoothi Mavinakayi in Kannada literally translates to parrot's beak (face)! Totapuri is cultivated in the Rayalaseema region (Chittoor, Kadapa, Anantapur and Kurnool districts) of Andhra Pradesh, Krishnagiri in Tamil Nadu and... Continue Reading →
Banaganapalle Mango
One of the finest mangoes of South India is the hugely popular Banaganapalle mango grown extensively in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Also known as Banaganapalli by the locals, this mango is unique to the Banaganapalli village in Kurnool district. According to historians, as Banaganapalli was the capital of a princely state of the same... Continue Reading →
Chintamani Groundnuts (Hot Peanuts or Chintamani Kadalebeeja)
Chintamani is one of the most historically important towns in the newly created Chikkaballapur district in Karnataka. Previously a part of the Kolar district, this town was an important trading centre during the time of the mighty Cholas. Fragments of the rich culture, art and architecture of the successive dynasties that ruled over this town... Continue Reading →
Coorg Pepper
Popularly known as 'The King of Spices' or 'Black Gold', black pepper (Piper nigrum L.) is one of the most important spices of India, valued highly for its medicinal properties. India is the largest producer and consumer of this ancient spice that is used in a variety of cuisines, in the preparation of Ayurvedic medicines... Continue Reading →
Langi or Chuwak (Rice Beer of Tripura)
The North Eastern state of Tripura is home to about nineteen different tribes with each tribe and sub-tribe having their own sociocultural identity which has been conserved generation after generation. The Tripuris prepare a unique rice beverage known as Gora bwtwk which is the undistilled form of the beverage while Langi or Chuwak or Chuwarak is the finished product.... Continue Reading →
Coorg Orange
Kodagu district is known for its exceptional biodiversity and though it is a major coffee growing region located in the Western Ghats with more than 50 percent of the agricultural land essentially coffee estates, native crops like pepper, cardamom, orange and rice are equally famous. The dense forest cover that spreads across more than half... Continue Reading →
