Aanavilasam Plantation
The Scents of Paradise by
SMITA & SANJEEV CHANDRA
Aromas of pepper, cinnamon, and cardamom lingered in the air as we drove along the steep road that wound up hills whose sides were covered with lush, green trees. Our destination was Aanavilasam—a working, thriving, spice plantation that doubles as a luxury resort. It is a lovely, tranquil place with flower-lined paths leading to the guest rooms. flavor of cardamom. Even the bees here were raised on cardamom flowers!
Aanavilasam Plantation
Sitting on the verandah of our resort room, we were shaded by a canopy of towering eucalyptus, cinnamon, and jackfruit trees. Thick vines, heavy with bunches of peppercorns clung to the tree trunks. And the heady perfume of spices was everywhere. If paradise is scented by spices, as ancient legends claim, we had arrived! The following morning, as we gathered for breakfast and dipped into the honey, we discovered, to our delight, that it had the distinct
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ENSEMBLE TR AVELER ’S TABLE 2021
Born and raised in India, we have lived in North America for decades and often tap into experiences from our homeland to teach and write about Indian food. Spices are at the heart of Indian cuisine, yet, despite years of using and talking about them, neither of us had ever seen these beloved seasonings being grown. India’s verdant state of Kerala had long been on the list of places we hoped to visit, both for its natural beauty and because of the abundance of spices grown there. The tropical Malabar coast where merchants from around the world have come for millennia to buy spices grown in
the nearby hills – seemed like the perfect place to begin. After discussing the various options, we decided on a twoweek tour that would take us from the port city of Kochi to the hill town of Thekkady, with many scenic stops in between. Spices, we soon learned, do not grow in neat rows. Rather, they are a riot of foliage that threaten to overwhelm everything around them. Pepper vines clamber up
