Palm fruit pulp
The golden pulp of ripe palm fruit, pressed out by hand for taler bora and payesh. Seasonal: gone when the fruit is.
Representative photo · Fotokannan at Malayalam Wikipedia, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Head about 30 km out of Bankura town, towards the hills where Bankura meets Purulia, and the land turns red and rolling. Gaonta Khamar sits on the bank of the Dwarkeshwar, beside the villages of Ushardihi and Parashibana, with Susunia hill close enough to walk to.
The farm keeps rice that Bengal grew before the Green Revolution: Kalamkathi, Dudher Sar and the red Bhutmuri, some of it pounded in a dheki, the wooden foot-mill that leaves the bran on the grain. Dal is split on a jaanta, the hand-turned stone quern. Around the rice runs a whole village larder: palm pulp in season, bori, jaggery, honey, oils, pickles, puffed rice, and milk and eggs from desi cows, hens and ducks.
There is a small farm-stay here too, Chasar Basa, for anyone who wants to see where it all comes from.
We can buy from the farm for you. Tell us what you would like, and we will tell you what is in season, what can travel to you, and one final price. Milk, meat and eggs stay close to home.
Follow the farm on Facebook.
