It is perhaps not known to many that India is the world's largest producer of turmeric with the state of Telangana ranking first in area under cultivation and production. The turmeric belt of Telangana comprises of the districts of Nizamabad, Nirmal and Jagtial. It is estimated that over 50,000 hectares of land are under... Continue Reading →
Kollapur on the banks of the Krishna River in Nagarkurnool district in Telangana state is famous for its different mango varieties. In fact, mango ranks among the top eight surplus fruits grown in Telangana and is hugely popular among the locals and surrounding states. Kollapur has been cultivating its special Benishan mango (also known... Continue Reading →
Kashi's most iconic milk sweet is the centuries-old Lal Peda that has been praised to the hilt by travellers, food connoisseurs and historians. This traditional dairy product of Kashi is offered as prasad in the Kaal Bhairav Temple, Kashi Vishwanath Temple and Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple. In the olden days, the abundance of milk in the... Continue Reading →
One of the most iconic and celebrated sweets of Kashi is Tirangi Barfi. Also known as Rashtriya Barfi, this unique creation is the handiwork of Shri Raghunath Das Gupta of Shree Ram Bhandar in Thatheri Bazar. The British from the late 1700s right up to the mid - 1940s had managed to successfully loot the ancient... Continue Reading →
Chamba, revered for its stunning natural beauty, history, literature and spiritual potency is the land of the world-famous chukh. This delightful home-made pickle is prepared from the exotic Himalayan chitrali chillies that grow in abundance in the hilly region. The fiery Himalayan green chitrali chillies are carefully picked, sundried and then mixed with the extract of an indigenous... Continue Reading →
The district of Vijayapura is blessed with the waters from the Krishna, Doni and Bhima rivers, deep black soil, red sandy soil and mixed soils, semi-arid climatic conditions and diverse agricultural produce. It is estimated that nearly 80 percent of the land is under cultivation with a thriving agro and food processing industry providing employment... Continue Reading →
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 →
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 →
One of the most exotic fruit crops of Goa is the famous Myndoli banana or Moira banana. Known as Myndoli kellin or Myndoli keli in Konkani, this banana is one of the most popular and tastiest found in this region. This native banana is cultivated in Pernem, Bardez and Bicholim talukas in North Goa district. Myndoli banana plantations are... Continue Reading →
The incredible citrus genetic diversity that is found in the wild, semi-wild and backyards of Manipur is not found anywhere else in the world. Different strains of rough lemon, mandarin and semi-wild heiribob (Citrus macroptera) are grown across Manipur. Orange is one of the most important horticultural crops of Manipur with Tamenglong district producing more... Continue Reading →
An exotic variety of green cardamom, often known as the 'Queen of Spices' has been cultivated in Coorg, on the eastern slopes of the Western Ghats on the Karnataka - Kerala state border for centuries. This native variety known locally as malay yalakki is a variety of the Malabar category and is grown by a... Continue Reading →
The crown jewel of Malda is undoubtedly the deliciously sweet Laxman Bhog mango. Often considered to be a rival of the famed Alphonso, the smooth and juicy Laxman Bhog simply melts in your mouth! Malda is already known for its native mangoes like Gopal Bhog, Brindaban, Langra, Khirsapati (Himsagar), Kishan Bhog, Kalapahar, Bombai, Fazli and Aswini. Mango orchards are found along the bank... Continue Reading →
One of the most sinfully sweet and flavoursome mangoes of Malda is the famous Himsagar. Locally known as Khirsapati, this native mango thrives in the district of Malda especially along the banks of the Mahanadi and Kalindi rivers where, the entire stretch is dotted with old and new orchards appearing as an unbroken expanse of... Continue Reading →
Kesar is one of the finest varieties of Indian mangoes and much sought-after in domestic and international markets. Marathwada Kesar mango finds its origin in the Valsad district of Gujarat though the famed Kesar mango was first cultivated in Junagadh district. Kesar mango has been cultivated in the Marathwada district for centuries. It has often... Continue Reading →
It is a common practice among the indigenous tribal communities of North East India to prepare and consume traditionally prepared rice beer (rice wine) from different varieties of rice with plants, medicinal herbs, fruits and flowers. The art of preparing household liquor varies slightly from tribe to tribe though the fundamental steps are almost the... Continue Reading →
The vibrant saffron hue and sinfully sweet taste of the Gir Kesar mango puts it on the list of much loved and sought-after mangoes of India. Titled by the locals as the 'Queen of Mangoes', this delightfully bright and delicious mango finds its place among the country's five best indigenous varieties. Gir Kesar mango... Continue Reading →
The North Eastern state of Mizoram is a treasure trove of ginger diversity with as many as eight native varieties cultivated here since the ancient times. Ginger along with turmeric and chillies are important cash crops and widely used to prepare local delicacies as well as medicines. Mizo ginger is grown in Aizawl, Serchhip,... Continue Reading →
The most famous chilli of Goa is the bright red Khola chilli that grows exclusively on the hill slopes of Canacona taluka in the district of South Goa. Also known as Canacona chilli, this variety derives its name from the mountain village Khola where it is grown. According to historians, chillies were introduced in... Continue Reading →
The state of Karnataka is known for its rich mango diversity and one of the most unique type of mango grown exclusively in Sagar, Ripponpet and Hosanagara taluka of Shimoga district, river valleys of Aghanashini, Kali, Bedthi, Sharavati and Varada of Uttara Kannada district, Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts, Malenadu region of Chikmagalur district and... Continue Reading →
The history of the famed Udupi Mattu Gulla brinjal can be traced back to the time of the great saint and philosopher, Sri Vadirajatirtharu of Sode Matha. It is said that in the early 1500s, Sri Vadirajatirtharu had the practice of making the daily offering of a sweet dish called hoorana or hoorana kadabu to... Continue Reading →
The quaint town of Bhiwapur in Nagpur district is famous for its bright red chillies. This crop has been cultivated for decades in Bhiwapur, Kuhi and Umred. Locals say that Bhiwapur has been the largest chilli market in the district since the 1960s. Bhiwapur derives its name from the presiding deity Goddess Bhima and... Continue Reading →
One of the most famous produce of Kerala is its indigenous Palakkadan Matta rice that has been grown in the lush green belt of Palakkad for centuries. According to historians, Matta rice was partaken only by the members of the royal family of the Cholas and Cheras. This rice was exclusively cultivated for the royals... Continue Reading →
Navara rice is one of the rarest indigenous rice varieties grown exclusively in Kerala with immense curative and medicinal properties. Navara or Njvara has been mentioned extensively in the ancient texts of Ayurveda like Sushruta Samhita, Ashtanga Hridaya, Kṣemakutūhala of Kṣemaśarman, Bhojanakutūhala of Raghunātha Sūrin and Pākadarpaṇa of King Naḷa and other treatises. Navara rice... Continue Reading →
Assam is widely considered to be one of the origins for rice and has one of the most interesting rice cultivars in India. Rice is grown in about 25.3 million hectares of land in Assam with an average production and productivity of about 3.8 million tonnes and 1540 kg/ha respectively. There are four divisions of... Continue Reading →
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