Get a flavour of a spice farm

For those who think Goa, located on the western coast of India, is all about sun and sand, a jaunt inland to one of its luxuriant plantations is an enjoyable distraction and a cool, leafy break from its beachside towns.

Situated on a forested escarpment rising above the coastal plains, Sahakari Spice Farm, near Ponda, is a coconut, banana and betel nut plantation, which is more than 300 years old.

One of several plantation and ecotourism projects in the area, the farm is particularly popular with Indians — all of whom seem eager to discover where their fragrant ingredients come from.

We are welcomed with a garland of flowers and escorted to a pavilion. Here, visitors gather for the tour. As you enter the farm, the farm canopy is abuzz with insects while birdcalls pierce the avenues of coconut and betel nut trees.

Important hub

Goa was a Portuguese colony from the early 16th century until 1961. Naturally, they came for a reason — and it was not a package holiday. Goa was an important hub for the spice trade.

But a tour of the farm is not a trip down colonial memory lane. Sahakari employs a mixed-crop method, known as kulagor, which predates the colonial era. Organic fertiliser (cow manure and foliage) is used while biogas (methane from cow dung) is produced as an energy source for cooking.

Our guide, Cyril, leads our group through the greenery. Walking through the plantation is like entering a rainforest.

Birds trill, flowers abound and light trickles through the canopy. Unlike most plantations, where one plant species dominates, there is biodiversity.

Cyril points out a cardamom plant, whose pods are bizarrely located at the base of the trunk. He then spots a vanilla bush and shows us its pods.

"Vanilla, a spice?" a stout man asks. Before Cyril can answer, the man says authoritatively: "No, vanilla is for ice-cream."

Sample taste

Eyebrows are raised. Cyril tries to explain the connection between the beans and the essence but the man ignores him.

We are then shown Portuguese chilli (peri-peri), the seventh hottest variety of chilli. I sample one — the little blighter feels like it will make my teeth bleed. I decide not to try the six hotter varieties.

Strolling along, Cyril points out pepper creepers, curry leaves and the turmeric bush — whose root is ground and used as an important ingredient in many dishes.

Nearby, we are shown a jackfruit tree and the sour gherkin (gimli), a member of the tamarind family.

Throughout, the stout man seems determined to add his own pearls of wisdom. His questions are so inane that it is difficult to keep a straight face.

Then, like an acrobat, a farm worker appears and effortlessly shimmies up the bough of a betel nut tree.

"Watch how plantation workers move from tree to tree," Cyril says. The man sways the tree back and forth and then springs to the next, like an arrow shot from a bow. He lands without slipping and our group applauds.

Next on the menu is the allspice plant, which originated in the Caribbean and yields berries and seeds only after 15 years.

Cyril passes the leaf around. It has a fragrance reminiscent of Chinese cuisine. He then points out some multi-purpose plants.

The fruit of the nutmeg tree produces a pod (nutmeg) and a shell (mace), while the malabathrum tree yields bay leaves and a bark very similar to cinnamon, which is often mistaken for it.

The stout man sniffs it. "Yes, it's cinnamon."

Throughout, the throbbing birdcalls rarely cease, but then we hear a different noise — the irate chattering of a striped squirrel. As we get closer, he turns his fury upon us, scolding us and flicking his tail.

Exiting the plantation, we are escorted to a group of elephants tended by their mahouts. They appear reasonably healthy and content. We have our photos taken with them.

After this, we are shown the dairy: the source of the biogas and the farm's dairy products.

"So when are we going to eat?" asks the stout man. "Isn't a meal included in the tour?"

Cyril explains that we are now going to have lunch at Sahakari's restaurant.

He leads us back to the entrance and past a pool where a water snake skims across the surface. We are ushered into a restaurant where a selection of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes is placed in a buffet.

The stout man is first in line to eat. By the time I reach the buffet, he is back for seconds. A waitress explains that most of the ingredients come from the farm — the various spices, fruits and the curd.

The man frowns, inspecting the food. "Is this all you've got?" he asks.

Goa from the UAE

From Dubai
Emirates and Jet Airways fly daily via Mumbai.
Fare: Dh1,950
Air India flies once a week. Fare: Dh1,650

From Abu Dhabi
Etihad Airways and Indian Airlines fly daily via Mumbai. Fare: Dh3,510
(All fares exclusive of taxes)

Information courtesy: MMI Travel

About Sahakari Spice Farm
The plantation is open to tourism. Walking tours are regularly conducted, in which guests are shown the spices, fruits and medicinal plants cultivated on the farm as well as its dairy. The tour includes lunch (much of this consisting of produce from the farm) and a photo op with elephants. Cost: Rs150 (Dh14) per person

Visas
All visitors require Indian tourist visas, which vary in price according to nationality and are typically issued in three working days. For more information, go to the Indian Consulate General of Dubai website www.cgidubai.com

How to reach
Sahakari Spice Farm is at Curti, an hour's drive from Panjim, Goa's capital, on the Ponda-Belgaum Highway. From the northern or southern beaches, a taxi is the easiest option. Website: www.sahakarifarms.com

Mumbai is the usual gateway to Goa. A number of carriers ply the 45-minute flight from Mumbai to Goa, including Kingfisher, Air Sahara and Spice Jet. Jet Airways is highly recommended.

Where to stay
I stayed at the Soul Vacations hotel, in Colva, southern Goa, which is a 45-minute drive from Sahakari Spice Farm. Website: www.soulvacation.in