Canara Coast · Western Coastal Strip
Graded areca, pepper, cardamom and the Sirsi Supari appellation
The growers' cooperative through which most of the upland's areca is pooled, graded and sold, and the institution that holds the geographical indication. Its yard in Sirsi is the best place to see how the grading that the GI protects is actually done.
Appemidi pickle, forest honey, kokum, pepper, jaggery and areca-based products
A grower-owned marketing cooperative that buys forest and garden produce directly, and the most reliable place to buy appemidi in brine outside somebody's house.
Karwari fish thali, rava-fried mackerel and prawn preparations
A long-running seafood house; the thali rather than the a la carte is what the town eats.
Mackerel, seer, prawn, squid and the drying yards behind the jetties
Buying happens at dawn. The drying yards alongside are where the year's karvatha for the monsoon months is made, and they are the clearest illustration of why the coastal kitchen is built the way it is.
Appemidi in brine, tender-mango tokku, kokum and dried uppage
Small family operations around the Marikamba temple and the market. Ask which river the fruit came from — the answer is specific and the sellers expect the question.
Headgear, shoulder ornaments, mirror and gilt work for the troupes
A handful of families make and maintain the ornament sets. Sets are commissioned rather than bought off a shelf and are repaired for decades.
Tibetan food, monastic supplies, carpets and thangka work
Busiest around Losar, and the only place in Uttara Kannada where the everyday language on the street is Tibetan.
Famous shops, markets and workshops in Canara Coast, and what each is known for. (7)