One very simple and possible means for getting authentic dhekia xaak
is to flash-freeze and export.
BTW, those of you who are not familiar with these fern-shoots'
characteristics, it is one of the MOST delicate and PERISHABLE of ALL
leafy green vegetables I know. And trust me, I know of quite a few.
Dhekia xaak will barely last 36 hours after picking before beginning
to deteriorate, and in 48 hours in the Assamese summers, when they
grow,they will become a gooey rotten mess, unsalvageable for human
consumption.
I discovered this about five years back, when our late mother, my
youngest sister and I went out on drive along the embankment of the
Brahmaputra near Dibrugarh and came upon an abandoned tea-plantation,
most of which was washed away by the Brahmaputra. There, amidst the
scraggly tea bushes and under the 'sirish' shade trees we came upon
the most glorious 'dhekia' ( fern) field we ever saw. I think it was
in the month of May or so. The children of gatherers in all three
of us took over and we picked dhekia-xaak like there was no tomorrow
and carried them back in a jute 'gunny-sack' to Dibrugarh. That
night wee were invited somewhere for dinner and we did not get a
chance to taste the delicacies. Next morning we took off for
Guwahati, with a sackful of dhekia-xaak in the back of the RV like
vehicle. By the time we arrived at Guwahati that night, every shoot
of fern was totally spoilt.
It was heartbreaking :-).
At 11:39 AM -0500 6/26/07, Ram Sarangapani wrote:
Thanks Mohan,
From the demand stats (of Asomiya households and maybe others)
Mohan, we should start a bidness with Indira baideu and C'da as the
the 'outside consultant' :) :)
Seriously though, it is nice to know that it is possible to get the
saplings and grow our own.
--Ram
On 6/26/07, Mohan R. Palleti
<<mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
C'da/ Ram:
I have been able to get some Dhekia saplings from Indira Baideo. The plant
has taken root in my backyard. The leaves are however more lighter green
then the dhekia I am used to, and the fronds are pretty thin and open up
pretty early.
Fiddlehead ferns are much better. I bought some at the Union Square
farmers market in New York City. That was a couple of years ago...
Mohan R. Palleti
Thanks C'da
That was a pretty good. I thought, there may be an off chance of Fiesta
carrying it (and a tad cheaper too). I guess we will have to wait till it
is
grown in one of the Asomiya housholds:)
--Ram
On 6/25/07, Chan Mahanta
<<mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Ram:
It is highly unlikely to find dhekia xaak in the warmer regions here.
The
equivalent, Fiddleback fern-sprouts, grow best in the cool moist areas,
such as the Pacific northwest or the northeastern seaboard, from what I
hear. You cannot collect them from the nature preserves. I doubt anyone
cultivates them either. They may grow naturally in the wet tropical
areas in
Mexico, such as in the Yucatan peninsula. But unless you are a
well-heeled
Japanese or a Nippophile :-) with deep pockets , I doubt you would want
to
pay the kind of prices they charge. I have seen them occasionally in
the
Gourmet section of upscale groceries here, but very infrequently. Since
Elly
Baideu knows I am a 'dhekia-xaako-holic', she once bought some for us.
But
there were only about a dozen sprouts in the package, which were thicker
than Oxomiya dhekia-xaak, and were of little use for preparing the way I
like them, as 'bhaaji' or 'tenga-anja'.
We have a dozen different wild ferns that grow in Missouri. Some large,
like the Ostrich Fern, that produce succulent large shoots. I have a
couple
of clumps, but wouldn't have the heart to pick the few shoots. If
someone
attempts to grow them commercially, it would be nice. They love shade
>> and a
lot of moisture--which is hard to come by around here.
%0
_______________________________________________
assam mailing list
<mailto:[email protected]>[email protected]
<http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org>http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
_______________________________________________
assam mailing list
[email protected]
http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
_______________________________________________
assam mailing list
[email protected]
http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
