Cardamom and pepper plantation walk

The Cardamom Hills, which rise around Thekkady, produce most of India's small cardamom, and the plants grow best in the shade of tall forest trees. We visit a family-run plantation rather than the tourist spice gardens along the main road. Your host walks you through the estate, pointing out cardamom plants with their flower stalks running along the ground, pepper vines climbing silver oak and jackfruit trees, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, vanilla and coffee.

Cardamom is picked by hand every few weeks during the season, from about August to February, and you may see workers at it. Your host explains the drying process, traditionally done in wood-fired drying houses and now often in electric dryers, and how the pods are graded by size and colour for the auction at Bodinayakanur and Puttady. Pepper is picked in the dry season and laid out on mats to turn black.

We end at the farmhouse for tea, local snacks and a tasting of fresh spices. If you want to buy, the plantation sells direct at fair prices. On request we can add a cooking session where your host prepares a lunch using the spices you have seen growing, with dishes such as pepper chicken, cardamom-scented rice and a simple vegetable thoran.