Western Ghats are well known all over the globe for its spice gardens. You can see large plantations of different spices, tea, coffee etc. on your drive through the Western Ghats. The major portion of spice collection of India comes from the Western Ghats only. These plantations give the high range a classical elegance to attract travellers and at the same time it supports the economy to a greater extend. The Cardamom Hills at the southern part is famous for cardamom spice plantations. The climate at here well supports the cultivation. This portion of Western Ghats is under the consideration of UNESCO World Heritage Committee as a World Heritage Site. Cardamom is known as the Queen of Spices. On your trip to Munnar, the most beautiful hill station of Kerala, you can plan a visit to these spice plantations of Western Ghats and can learn about the agriculture of India. Your visit to the spice plantations will be a rare and great experience for you.
Now let us come to the King of Spices. Black Pepper is a widely used spice in India. 17 piper species are reported at Western Ghats. In them about 12 of them are endemic. At Wayanad you can see acres of coffee and spice plantations. You can make a trip to here from November to March which is the best season to visit the spice plantations near Wayanad. Pepper, Cardamom, coffee etc. are cultivated here. Ginger is another spice cultivated at Western Ghats. It is a spice having healing properties. Most of the people of India use ginger as an ingredient for most of the dishes. Another spice is Cinnamon. This spice is also believed to have healing properties. This contains fiber, calcium and many other nutrients.
You can see many other spice plantations in different parts of Western Ghats. In Kerala, the major cultivation is concentrated to the Idukki and Wayanad districts. Clove is a spice obtained from the flower of clove tree. Clove is mainly cultivated in Western Ghats in India. It has got many medicinal properties. It is even used nowadays for various purposes like for adding essence to food items, medicine for toothache etc. Nutmeg is also a spice tree other than clove and cinnamon. Vanilla is another spice cultivated in Western Ghats. The farmers in India showed a sudden interest in Vanilla plantation as its price hiked in last decade. The spice cultivation got its demand in the colonial periods as the foreigners exported spice to their countries. Some of the spices like clove was introduced by them India. The aromatic spice plantations in India are a must watch. Never miss the chance to visit these places in your life.
Jyothis Mp