Black cotton
Grows Guntur Sannam
Guntur and Prakasam. Holds post-monsoon moisture, then dries hard — the pod stays on the plant until the colour sets.
Geography
Nineteen places
on one desk.
From 9°51′ N in the Cardamom Hills to 34°01′ N on the Karewa terraces above Pampore — almost the full latitude of the country. Different soils, different calendars, one buying standard.
- Southernmost
- Idukki · 9°51′ N
- Northernmost
- Pampore · 34°01′ N
- Easternmost
- Jorhat · 94°13′ E
- States
- 9
The map
19 origins · 14 statesKey
- PamporeMongra Saffron
- AnantnagKashmiri Mirch
- NagaurSaunf
- KotaCoriander
- UnjhaCumin
- UjjainMethi
- ChikmagalurMonsooned Malabar
- ByadgiByadgi
- ThalasseryTellicherry
- CoonoorNilgiri
- KothamangalamNutmeg & Mace
- IdukkiAlleppey Green
- DzonguBadi Elaichi
- DarjeelingDarjeeling
- JorhatAssam Orthodox
- KohimaRaja Mircha
- LakadongLakadong
- PhulbaniKandhamal Haldi
- GunturGuntur Sannam
Outlines follow India’s official boundary claim, with Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh shown in full. Markers are the named town or district the trade refers to, not a state centroid, and are placed with the same projection used to draw the coastline. Verify against Survey of India guidance before print publication.
Register
North to southPulwama · Jammu & Kashmir
- Coordinates
- 34°01′ N
74°56′ E - Spice
- Mongra Saffron
- Harvest
- Late October – early November
Anantnag · Jammu & Kashmir
- Coordinates
- 33°44′ N
75°09′ E - Spice
- Kashmiri Mirch
- Harvest
- September – November
North Sikkim · Sikkim
- Coordinates
- 27°32′ N
88°31′ E - Spice
- Badi Elaichi
- Harvest
- August – October
Nagaur · Rajasthan
- Coordinates
- 27°12′ N
73°44′ E - Spice
- Saunf
- Harvest
- February – April
Darjeeling · West Bengal
- Coordinates
- 27°02′ N
88°16′ E - Spice
- Darjeeling
- Harvest
- March – November
Jorhat · Assam
- Coordinates
- 26°45′ N
94°13′ E - Spice
- Assam Orthodox
- Harvest
- March – November
Kohima · Nagaland
- Coordinates
- 25°40′ N
94°07′ E - Spice
- Raja Mircha
- Harvest
- July – September
West Jaintia Hills · Meghalaya
- Coordinates
- 25°25′ N
92°12′ E - Spice
- Lakadong
- Harvest
- November – January
Kota · Rajasthan
- Coordinates
- 25°11′ N
75°50′ E - Spice
- Coriander
- Harvest
- March – April
Mehsana · Gujarat
- Coordinates
- 23°48′ N
72°23′ E - Spice
- Cumin
- Harvest
- February – March
Ujjain · Madhya Pradesh
- Coordinates
- 23°11′ N
75°47′ E - Spice
- Methi
- Harvest
- February – March
Kandhamal · Odisha
- Coordinates
- 20°29′ N
84°14′ E - Spice
- Kandhamal Haldi
- Harvest
- December – February
Guntur · Andhra Pradesh
- Coordinates
- 16°19′ N
80°26′ E - Spice
- Guntur Sannam
- Harvest
- December – April
Haveri · Karnataka
- Coordinates
- 14°40′ N
75°29′ E - Spice
- Byadgi
- Harvest
- December – March
Chikkamagaluru · Karnataka
- Coordinates
- 13°19′ N
75°46′ E - Spice
- Monsooned Malabar
- Harvest
- Monsooning June – September
Kannur · Kerala
- Coordinates
- 11°45′ N
75°29′ E - Spice
- Tellicherry
- Harvest
- December – February
The Nilgiris · Tamil Nadu
- Coordinates
- 11°21′ N
76°48′ E - Spice
- Nilgiri
- Harvest
- January – December
Ernakulam · Kerala
- Coordinates
- 10°04′ N
76°37′ E - Spice
- Nutmeg & Mace
- Harvest
- June – August
Idukki · Kerala
- Coordinates
- 9°51′ N
76°58′ E - Spice
- Alleppey Green
- Harvest
- August – February
| Place | District | State | Latitude | Longitude | Spice | Harvest | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pampore | Pulwama | Jammu & Kashmir | 34°01′ N | 74°56′ E | Mongra Saffron | Late October – early November | |
| Anantnag | Anantnag | Jammu & Kashmir | 33°44′ N | 75°09′ E | Kashmiri Mirch | September – November | |
| Dzongu | North Sikkim | Sikkim | 27°32′ N | 88°31′ E | Badi Elaichi | August – October | |
| Nagaur | Nagaur | Rajasthan | 27°12′ N | 73°44′ E | Saunf | February – April | |
| Darjeeling | Darjeeling | West Bengal | 27°02′ N | 88°16′ E | Darjeeling | March – November | |
| Jorhat | Jorhat | Assam | 26°45′ N | 94°13′ E | Assam Orthodox | March – November | |
| Kohima | Kohima | Nagaland | 25°40′ N | 94°07′ E | Raja Mircha | July – September | |
| Lakadong | West Jaintia Hills | Meghalaya | 25°25′ N | 92°12′ E | Lakadong | November – January | |
| Kota | Kota | Rajasthan | 25°11′ N | 75°50′ E | Coriander | March – April | |
| Unjha | Mehsana | Gujarat | 23°48′ N | 72°23′ E | Cumin | February – March | |
| Ujjain | Ujjain | Madhya Pradesh | 23°11′ N | 75°47′ E | Methi | February – March | |
| Phulbani | Kandhamal | Odisha | 20°29′ N | 84°14′ E | Kandhamal Haldi | December – February | |
| Guntur | Guntur | Andhra Pradesh | 16°19′ N | 80°26′ E | Guntur Sannam | December – April | |
| Byadgi | Haveri | Karnataka | 14°40′ N | 75°29′ E | Byadgi | December – March | |
| Chikmagalur | Chikkamagaluru | Karnataka | 13°19′ N | 75°46′ E | Monsooned Malabar | Monsooning June – September | |
| Thalassery | Kannur | Kerala | 11°45′ N | 75°29′ E | Tellicherry | December – February | |
| Coonoor | The Nilgiris | Tamil Nadu | 11°21′ N | 76°48′ E | Nilgiri | January – December | |
| Kothamangalam | Ernakulam | Kerala | 10°04′ N | 76°37′ E | Nutmeg & Mace | June – August | |
| Idukki | Idukki | Kerala | 9°51′ N | 76°58′ E | Alleppey Green | August – February |
GroundThree soils,
Three soils,
three answers.
A spice is a record of where it grew. Black cotton soil holds monsoon water and gives Guntur its long dry ripening. Karewa terraces drain freely and are the only ground the saffron corm tolerates. Humus-rich hill slopes in the Jaintia Hills grow a small rhizome that accumulates curcuminoids instead of bulk.
Karewa
Grows Mongra Saffron
Pampore. Elevated alluvial lake beds, mineral-rich and free-draining. Roughly 3,700 hectares of it, and no substitute.
Hill humus
Grows Lakadong
The Jaintia Hills. Steep, organic, never consolidated into large holdings — 1,753 hectares across 43 villages.
The peopleFrom their hands,
From their hands,
into yours.
Every coordinate on this page is somebody’s land. We buy from the families who farm it — mostly at the farm itself, with no trader in between — and the lot keeps their village and their harvest date on it all the way to your warehouse. What they hand over is what you open.
