FAQ

Which City is called City of spices in India?

Kerala is well known as a major spice producer and has been a center of the spice trade for centuries. In Kerala, the leading centre of spice production is the district of Idukki. It is also famous as the 'Spice Garden of Kerala'. The ideal weather and soil conditions in the high ranges of Idukki promote the cultivation of spices like pepper, cardamom, clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, etc. The hill district of Wayanad in north Kerala is another major producer of spices, especially of black pepper. Cardamom, ginger and turmeric are also cultivated here. 

In modern day Kerala, the city of Kochi has become the nerve centre of spice trade. Fort Kochi and places in Mattancherry once used to be teeming trading outlets, dealing exclusively in spices. And the proximity of spice producing centres in Idukki and Kottayam districts rely on Kochi for bulk exports to destinations around the world, thus earning for it the name the 'City of Spices'.

In historic times, there was another place in Kerala that literally reigned in global spice trade. And that is Kozhikode on the Malabar Coast. It has a long history as a major trading center for spices like pepper, cardamom and cloves.