A few days ago I came to know that a friend of mine was going to head out into the farmlands of our Sindh province (due to the agricultural nature of his business). Since I too had nothing to do yesterday, I tagged along. So we hit the highway early in the morning (about half an hour before sunrise). But since we grew up on 80's movies, we just couldn't have a road trip without this song playing! This was all very dangerous bandit country a few decades ago (where kidnapping for ransom was a daily occurrence) - But ever since the brutal military actions of the 90s (where the Army cleared out all the farmlands and adjoining jungles) - Everything is now 100% peaceful, and broad highways build to all locations. Thus turning all of this into one of the most productive farming areas in the region. So off we went (at over 120 kilometers per hour), straight into the heartland of rural Sindh! Me hitting the road! ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) By around 09:30 hours, we started to pass the a few 100 different Mango orchards. Fruit on these mango trees still hasn't come yet, but in about 2 to 3 months from now, they will ripe for picking! Anyway, this is what mango trees like like at this time of the year. Mango orchards on both sides of the road ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) Mango tree growing on roadside ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) Another mango tree in an orchard ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) Next we passed the Agricultural University of Sindh at Tando Jam. Agricultural University of Sindh ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) And then some more farmland. In this picture below, I think they are growing rice. My cell phone camera is unable to do a proper job, as the car was going too fast. And in the next picture, you'll see another shot of a freshly plowed field (with a cow aimlessly roaming about)... Growing rice in the field. ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) freshly plowed field with a cow in it ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) Next we got to see some huge factory, (no doubt making and/or processing some type of an agricultural product). After which we saw more colorful fields! Factory in the distance ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) Shot of more farmland from the high road ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) More farmland seen from the high road ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) And this is one of the many irrigation canals we passed. This irrigation system is actually one of the largest in the world. Remember the thread where I showed you all the Tarbela Dam of Pakistan? http://www.gardenstew.com/about31172.html Yes, a lot of this water comes from all the way up there, 1000+ miles away - Into this otherwise desert province of Sindh. So without this massive irrigation system, Pakistan simply wouldn't have been able to sustain a population of almost 180 million people! Irrigation canal seen from the high road ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) More irrigation canals crisscrossing the landscape ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) Next we passed a lot of Banana fields too! However the crop this year doesn't seem to be doing well, as winter lasted a month longer - Thus the snow in Northern Pakistan didn't melt on time, and so water didn't reach these plants at the correct time... Banana field ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) More banana fields ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) But finally, at around noon time, we arrived at the farmer's market of Sultanabad! Although this farmer's market may not seem like much at first glance - It still supplies over a 100 tons of fruit and vegetables to Karachi city everyday, 365 days a year! Fresh vegetables straight from the farm ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) Farmer's market ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) Worker sorting out fresh horseradish ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden )
Very interesting S-H. I can't imagine the distance to get the water to the fields. amazing. Too bad the banana fields look so sad. Will they recover? I had no idea what mango trees looked like. I love mangoes, I wish I could grow them.
Yes I'm sure the Banana crop will recover by next year. Ever since HEJ Institute of Chemistry at the Karachi University succeeded in plant tissue culture on a massive scale - We have no problem in replacing a crop with fresh virus free plants! http://www.iccs.edu/ By the way, in another corner of that same farmer's market, there are shops which sell fertilizer, pesticides, and colorful women's clothing too (to keep Mrs. Farmer happy, or else Mr. Farmer will get to sleep in the Doghouse outside)! So whenever the farmers are done selling their stuff in the market, they always buy something colorful for their wives with the extra money they have in their pockets (or else it's again the Doghouse for them)... It's actually a very old tradition in these parts, to always bring home something colorful for the lady of the house whenever they make any amount of money. And if the farmer isn't married, then he'll still get something colorful for his mom. That anyway is how the tradition is followed in these happy-go-lucky parts of rural Sindh province. Women's clothing shop ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) Another example of what local women wear ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) It really doesn't matter if you own a small farm or a big one, or if you arrive here by donkey cart or on your own tractor - Because every farmer gets treated like an equal, and also gets a fair price for his or her product. For example, here are some farmers arriving by donkey cart to sell their spring onion! Farmers arriving by donkey cart to sell spring onions ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) While other farmers bring their produce over by tractor! Farmers arriving by tractor too ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) This donkey cart brought a full load of Spinach from the farm, which instantly got sold - And now the owner will buy some fertilizer, as well as something colorful for the Mrs at home (or else he'll be sleeping with the Dog outside for at least a week)! Yes, this tradition is very vigorously followed - Because if they don't, then their women will have no choice but to follow their own tradition - Which (as I've mentioned before) is an exemplary punishment, by humiliating their men in full public view, in front of all the neighbors and their community (as they are made to sleep outside, with only their Dog for company)... Donkey cart that brought fresh Spinach ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) Anyway you guys absorb this, feel free to shoot any questions that you have - As I've got a lot more pictures to upload here, (these were just 35% of what I've got)!
Fascinating photos and stories S-H Your countryside is very beautiful and very flat. Thanks for taking the time to share them with us. I was concerned when I saw the state of that banana field also, hope it works out ok for next year. Is it really true that the wife will make the husband sleep outside or is it just a turn of phrase?
So are these carrots, on the left in the top picture? Picture number 2 is amazing. So much horseradish.
S-H, What do you do with the cucumbers there? I have grown those and didn't use any of them...they were so bland compared to our cukes. I was sorely disappointed. ( photo / image / picture from carolyn keiper's Garden ) ( photo / image / picture from carolyn keiper's Garden )
they are the "Armenian Cucumbers". The texture and the taste was not as similar to american cucumbers at all.
Frank, you really have no clue about Pakistani women, no clue at all... And you know what, that's a good thing - Or else you too would be having nightmares!!! Yes those are carrots, with peas, cherry tomatoes, and American cucumber (only we here call it Kakri, as cucumber is what we call a cucumber)... Hard to explain in words, as this American cucumber is closer to a tasteless pumpkin - Which is why when cooking it, a lot of other spices need to be added. The regular cucumber has it's own taste. Like I said, hard to explain in words... And the horseradishes, yes, while I was there - They were being washed, after which they would get weighed, bundled and tagged. And finally shipped to many destinations, however majority of all this ends up in Karachi. As the drive to Karachi city is only 2 to 3 hours - While elsewhere, you'd need a refrigerated container, (thus increasing the cost of transportation). So on average 100 ton of this comes straight to Karachi, every single day! Anyway, we finally reached our destination by lunch time. So first we got a tour of our host's land. Here he was growing wheat, which has reached it's peak height - So now all water to it has been stopped, thus in about 10 to 15 days (when it will all get dry), it will be harvested and sold to some flour mill - Here is what it looks like! Yeah, we even eat bread that was made from the flour which came from this field! Wheat 1 ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) Wheat 2 ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) Wheat 3 ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) Wheat 4 ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) And so I brought some mature wheat kernels home, to plant and experiment with - After I dry them out in the sun first!
S-H are those American or Armenian Cucumbers there? Here we call them Armenian cucumbers. I would say your description is better than my expectations of their flavor and texture. But, what do you do with them? Are they cooked or raw? American cucumbers are much juicier than the Armenian ones. We eat them raw or make pickles out of them, but they are not cooked in any dishes that I know of off the top of my head.
So fascinating S-H! Thank you so much for this pictoral story. In the picture of the donkeys & the spinach cart, what is the red on the donkey's back & head? Is it henna? http://www.gardenstew.com/plantstew/img ... /54002.jpg I am technologically impaired. I tried to copy the photo, and the above link is what happened. You all won't get a virus if you click on it. It will simply take you to the picture of the donkeys.
Well, I think this is a taste sponge type of vegetable. Meaning that it has no taste of it's own (just like pumpkins) - So they are cooked with other vegetables. Thing about the "taste sponge" (for lack of a better word) is that it will take on the taste of whatever it is cooked with. So this is why/how it is used in cooking. For example, if you cook chilies and they happen to be too spicy and hot to eat - You put this Armenian cucumbers in it. Firstly it will increase the mass of whatever you are cooking, and secondly, it will taste it's taste - But since it will also increase the mass, it will also dilute the intensity of the chilies - Thus making the whole dish chili tasty, that will not give us the runs... One can try adding tomatoes too, but they carry their own taste (therefore too much will upset the taste balance). So this is why they used this Armenian cucumbers (that we call Kakri) to reduce the flavor intensity, as well as to increase the mass. Same as pumpkins actually. However I've also seen kids (little girls usually) who eat this raw, with a sprinkling of salt, black pepper, and some chili powder as well. I think pregnant women too often eat this as a light snack (with salt and pepper), because some say it helps a lot when combating morning sickness. The other normal cucumber (which can be pickled too) is however never ever cooked... You can find a lot of recipes for this if you use the keyword "kakri" in Google - As then you'll get all the Pakistani and Indian recipes. Yes that is henna, and the way it's been done clearly shows that the farmer's kids were having fun! You see, here all farm animals (specially the ones which carry load) are treated as members of the family. So it is not at all uncommon to see this type of thing in our rural areas! OK, now back to the pictures! So after touring the wheat fields, we came to where the chilies were planted! Chilies growing on the farm ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) Chili field ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) After this we toured the eggplant fields! baby eggplant with a flower ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) Eggplants growing on the farm ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) Eggplant field ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) Next we were taken to the spot where horseradishes were planted! This was really very interesting, as we soon eat a salad, in which that very same one was usd! Horseradish pulled out of the ground ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) Horseradish field ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) After this we toured the field where cabbages were growing! Cabbages growing on the farm ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) More cabbage growing on the farm ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) Cabbage field ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) Cabbage packed for shipment ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) Next to this field was a small patch where Spinach and coriander were growing! Spinach plant growing on the farm ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) Coriander growing on the farm ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) And finally we saw a small patch of land where fodder for livestock too was growing. Fodder for livestock growing on the farm ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) No on our way back as we again walked past the farmer's market, we saw a load of beetroot arrive by motorcycle cart. Beetroot arriving in the market by motorcycle cart ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) But after a hearty meal and a little rest, it was time to drive back. The farmer was indeed very happy with the micro nutrients and pesticides my friend's company had provided him with. So now (as they say) take nothing but pictures, and leave nothing but foodings! Footprint (with a tyre track) ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) Our returning drive was also very interesting - And yes, I've got a lot of pictures to show of that too! But you guys absorb this for now - Shoot any questions that you may have, or comment! After which I'll share more pictures of the Southern Pakistan countryside.
Alright, so when our task here was done, we drove back home. But this time we took a slightly different and somewhat scenic route. So first we passed some more farmland where corn was growing. Cotton too had just been planted at a few placed, put it was too small for the camera to see. Passing a cornfield ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) Passing a cotton field ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) Next we passed some Guava orchards, and although the Guava trees look very dry (for the same reason why the Banana crop too failed) - However they are mature trees, so they too will recover by next season. Anyway, one farmer on the roadside was selling his king size Guavas on a pushcart, so we stopped to buy some. Guava orchard ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) Farmer selling his Guavas on the roadside ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) After this we passed a long line of trucks which were carrying Sugarcane to the sugar factories. Trucks carrying Sugarcane ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) However soon after this we were out of the farmland, and into the desert that surrounds the coastal city of Karachi. But we still had about an hour more of driving to do - So we stopped at the Highway Grill restaurant for a snack (which is sort of like a little oasis situated in the middle of nowhere)! This I guess really is a very smart thing to do on the Highway, to have a fabulous open air as well as an air conditioned eating place right next to a fuel station. They also have swings and slides for the kids - So again, a very smart business move, as parents going on a long drive with nagging little kids in the backseat will surely stop here! Turning into the Highway Grill restaurant ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) A true glutton arrives at the Highway grill ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) Highway Grill menu 1 ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) Highway Grill menu 2 ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) after the glutton had his fill at the Highway Grill ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) Finally the sun was about to set, so now it was just us and the open desert road - Heading straight towards Karachi city! Driving towards Karachi 1 ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) Driving towards Karachi 2 ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) Driving towards Karachi 3 ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) At last (a little after sunset) we finally reached the highway toll gate - Beyond which are the city limits of Karachi, home to 20+ million people, the biggest industrial hub and port city, smog, acid rain, and just about everything else a mega city of the 21st century will have, (including hour long traffic jams, stupid jaywalking idiots with a Rambo complex, and con artists at every turn, along with every other type of nutcase that you can imagine, accompanied by a hopelessly incompetent and corrupt police, judiciary, and politicians)... But it is what I call home, and so have adjusted very well to it! http://playit.pk/watch?v=m6qIXf9GLpE http://playit.pk/watch?v=-pOgDn1FuYc Anyway, I hope everyone enjoyed this journey into the farmlands of Southern Pakistan. Entering Karachi city limits ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden )
