Have you ever had a caper? These are pickled buds that are a part of Italian and Mediterranean food. Ishka Renewable Farms near Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu has been cultivating and processing them for 10 years now.
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Picture a farm. You think of a lush green plantation, fertile soil and a small stream,right? Srikant Suryanarayan and Fiona Arakal of Ishka farms also had the same impression… until they reached their farm in Niravi Pudhupatti near Ettayapuram.
This farm was dry and cracked. But the 365 acres of fallow land became the perfect ground for the capers they wanted to harvest. It is now the only caper farm in India that is organic. It also follows good agricultural and manufacturing practices.
The outermost boundary of this farm is of flowering and non flowering trees. These trees are home to various birds and bees. They eat the pests that feed on the caper leaves. Then comes a patch of agathi keerai. This is for the sheep to feed on and provide manure which is used as fertilizer.
Finally in the core are the caper bushes. This grows through the plastic mulch films. These films prevent growth of weeds and help in conserving water through drip irrigation. They are planted in rows. This helps to use the rain water efficiently and reduces soil erosion.
The caper bud is the part that has the most flavours. The shrub bears white flowers that grow into the caperberries. But almost every part of the shrub has a use. This plant has a lifespan of 80 years.
A native version of this plant known as kher grows in the harsh Rajasthan climate. But at Ishka farms, the first batch came all the way from Argentina and Australia after a long wait for permission to import them.
Almost all the workers in this farm are from Thoothukudi. Women who ask for a job are given employment and are encouraged to have financial independence. They harvest the capers or work in the slicing unit.
Harvesting starts at 8 am every day. The season is from February and goes on till the start of monsoon.
The harvested buds and berries are taken to the factory. First these capers are sorted by size. Then they are cleaned, sliced and brined. Ishka caper buds are brined in the sea salt sources from Thoothukudi. This gives them a unique saltiness making them the perfect condiment.
The brine is prepared in the lab. They ensure the same quality is maintained across all bottles.
In the lab they also prepare the tissue culture which becomes the shrubs. Ishka farms is also working on understanding its antioxidant properties and other medicinal values of the plant.
Finally, the capers are bottled and shipped. They are exported to several countries and are sold in local gourmet departmental stores as well.
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4 сен 2022
