The cardamom harvest in Dzongu

Large cardamom has long been a mainstay of the Dzongu economy. The plants grow in the shade of trees on the steep slopes above the villages, and in autumn families cut the clusters of red pods close to the ground, carry them home in baskets, and separate the pods by hand. It is hard, careful work on steep land.

The pods are then dried in a bhatti, a kiln where they sit on a rack above a slow wood fire for a day or more. The smoke gives Sikkim's large cardamom its typical flavour. Dried pods are sacked and sold to traders in Mangan and further down the highway. Ask your hosts how disease and swinging prices have affected their groves; many families now rely on homestays as a second income.

Harvest visits depend on the family's timetable, so this is arranged through your homestay, not booked as a tour. Keep out of the way of workers on narrow paths, and do not walk into groves without your host.