Sometime in March this year, acting upon the recommendation of my friend, Rosalind aka Madame Butterfly, my wife and I stayed in one of the antique houseboats on Lake Dal, Kashmir and experienced a most picturesque and wonderful holiday.
Nature has endowed Kashmir with innumerable gifts, its towering snow clad mountains, icy cold streams, crystal clear and sparkling lakes, flower meadows, colorful orchards and villages that always attracted tourists from all parts of the world. The centuries-old traditional fruit cultivation has profusely colored the riposte and tranquility of Kashmir’s landscape. Kashmir, the land of amazing flora and fruits possesses a rich history of fruit cultivation. Kashmir has remained the symbol of fruits and flowers.
Although the almond tree is native to the Mediterranean region, this beautiful tree has adapted to the climate of Kashmir. Big and shady, these trees grow up to a height of 15m and have large oval leaves tinged with red and fleshy fruits. The fruits of the almond tree are very aromatic and sweet. Almonds are considered the healthiest nuts to eat because they have the highest protein content of any nut. Almonds are also a rich source of calcium and many minerals, such as potassium and phosphorous.
Kashmiri almonds are known for their superiority of taste and are very popular in India. Locals considered the nut as highly nourishing and of great medicinal value; its kernels are used in confectionery as well as dessert.
The almond in Kashmir is synonymous with romance in Kashmir. Ancient Indian literature depicts heroines as someone having dark almond shaped eyes that symbolize beauty and appeal. The Mughals were great patrons of art and lovers of cuisines. It was the Mughals who introduced almonds into Indian cooking. We also visited one of the wonders of the world built by the Mughals - Taj Mahal, the subject of my next story ….….
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