GOA : Do you remember that unforgettable smell as you walk into the kitchen and smell the delicacies cooking away with aromas that bring warmth and joy to your soul? That undeniable feeling comes over you as you smell the ingredients meddling with each other to cook up a dish that resounds in your heart. And one key element that makes those dishes you love the most stand out is SPICES!

Oman’s delicacies are rich with a medley of various spices, such as cardamom, cloves, pepper, star anise, etc. With contributing to more than 20% of imported spices, we often unknowingly ignore the origin of these spices and their significance. So, let’s visit a part of Portugal in India to learn more about these spices.

6 km away from Ponda is a secluded, untouched 100-acre property in Keri village called the ‘Tropical Spice Plantation’. Pay 500 INR per head and enjoy a guided tour inside the property. Also, after the tour, enjoy a lip-smacking lunch made from locally sourced produce from within the property.

 The tour begins when you park your car and cross a mini bridge suspended above a lake that divides the outside world and the property. As you walk across the bridge, silence engulfs you and spices in the air speak the language of nature. You will hear the birds sing and the trees sway as you are invited with a welcome drink from locally sourced lemon grass and a warm smile. The tour begins with a guide and other visitors like you, huddled in a small bunch, walking through the plantation.

Walking through the plantation, you will be enchanted by the lush greenery and the little details of each spice, well delivered by the guide. The tall Betel nut trees, the cashews hanging above you, and the flowers of paradise dangling around you are a sight that will draw you deeper into the plantation with every step. If you aren’t unfamiliar with it yet, you definitely will be after this trip, and that is Feni. Made using the cashew fruit, locally distilled in Goa, Feni is what every thrill-seeker is looking for. But, with just the right amount, it can cure fever, but with a few extra ml’s added, and you will not need to travel around in Goa, the drink will suffice. Extremely potent, Feni is locally distilled in the Tropical Spice Plantation. Take a swig of it; as it is given off for free to taste, you will feel the earth beneath you rumble!

 As you walk around the plantation and reach the end of the tour, growing more curious about each spice, you will also be greeted by the oldest tree on the property, the ever-faithful coconut tree, with its roots protruding out of the ground; this is a hundred-old-year giant you can’t miss. As you return from the tour, you will feel a rumble in your stomach; they have the perfect cure for that, too. Locally made, home-cooked buffet served piping hot, for your heart’s content. Grab a plate and feast on local delicacies made from the spices and vegetables you just learned about. 

 Once you are done satisfying your hunger and are ready to leave this plantation, filled with content, walk over to the other side and purchase many spices and products made organically from the nature surrounding you. From face wash to moisturizers, they have it all: purchase something to carry as a souvenir to remember this day or urge someone to experience nature in a way they might not have before.

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