Kerala: Slice of the Spice Route

Coastal Kerala has been a vibrant trading hub, doing brisk business with West Asia, Africa, and Europe to its west, and China and Southeast Asia to its east for millennia. Malabar (another name for Kerala) lay plumb on the Spice Route, the maritime equivalent of the well-known land-based Silk Route, plied by intrepid trading boats, linking the Far East with the Old World. Kerala’s most celebrated contribution to these seaborne enterprises, driven by reliable monsoon winds and the lure of lucre was black pepper—or “black gold”, the spice’s historic trade name, indicating the value it commanded.

Cut to the present. In the last few decades, Kerala’s stock has risen meteorically in the world of leisure tourism, a fact that resonates repeatedly in scores of published travel bucket-lists. Why so? Because within the boundaries of this sliver of land is available so much culture, tradition, and unspoiled natural wealth that the marketing slogan “God’s Own Country” has held and not been brushed aside as gross hyperbole. (To be fair, let’s also consider this description in context of a culture where gods reside and appear in all walks of life, especially entrancing in all forms of art.) On Adya’s swirling Kerala tour, located in the northern part of the state, we will show you a “god time”, in slow time and with generous periods dedicated to delectable regional cuisine. And as for pepper, the Malabar original is still the worldwide gold standard. We offer it on our website, and we will take you to its source.