Malnad · Deccan Inland Plateau
Theatre, a repertory season, a film society and a publishing house in one village
The bookshop stocks Kannada translations that are difficult to find in the state's cities. The theatre institute takes a small intake each year and its repertory tours through the dry season.
Graded areca, black pepper and cardamom bought at the auction floor
The co-operative sale societies are where the crop is actually graded and priced. Watching an areca auction explains the region's economics faster than any account of it.
Estate arabica and robusta, sold as parchment, cherry or roasted
Buy by estate and by processing method rather than by brand. Washed arabica and dried cherry robusta from hills twenty kilometres apart are different products.
Kachampuli, wild honey, pepper, cardamom and Coorg orange squash
Kachampuli is sold in reused bottles and varies a great deal in strength. Ask how long it was boiled; the answer, in days, is the specification.
Deep-relief carving, now mostly in timbers other than sandalwood
Sandalwood is tightly regulated and ivory has been banned since 1972, so the vocabulary survives on cheaper woods. Ask what the piece is actually made of before agreeing a price.
Famous shops, markets and workshops in Malnad, and what each is known for. (5)