Of veralu ice cream and oil-less kalu dodol
Aditha Dissanayake
Try, try and try. The first pancake is always a flop. So goes a
Russian proverb. What about kavum? Is the first kavum a flop too?
Apparently not. Not for the lady dressed in cloth and jacket frying
kavum in a corner at the BMICH last Saturday.
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Kalu dodol |
What was she doing there at the largest agricultural trade exhibition
of the country, ‘Ag-Biz 2010’? What was the connection between the kavum
and the Agribusiness companies, research institutions and agribusiness
service providers, who had stalls at the fair?
I wish I had stayed long enough to find out. I wish I had let my eyes
linger more on the leaflets and posters on display than on the basket of
dark brown hot kavum. But linger I did, for far too long. Before I could
put two and two together my two companions, both deeply interested in
agriculture, one because he is the manager of a tea estate, the other
because she is a third year undergrad studying a rather mysterious
discipline called ‘animal science’, had dragged me away.
From then on till we reached the last stall the former kept asking
(repeatedly like an advertisement on television), as soon as he walked
into a stall “Have you got dryers which could be used to manufacture
tea?”
My perplexity increased as I walked further and further into the
interiors of the BMICH. Like with the kavum, what connection was there
between chocolate and agro-products? With toys? With a beautifully
constructed model of an ancient walauwa which had an advertisement for
noodles hanging on one of its walls?
I had obviously missed the bus somewhere. But it was satisfying to
see there were many who had found answers to questions that had plagued
them all their lives. “Finally I found out how they packet biscuits” I
heard a middle aged gentleman tell his daughter. Three teenage girls
shuddered as they watched the manufacturing process of sausages. “Now I
know what is inside a sausage” said one, her voice betraying she did not
quite relish gaining this piece of wisdom. The most inspiring were the
stalls organized by several universities; Peradeniya, Sabaragamuwa and
Wayamba.
The products on display were the results of their research studies
and included a desert made from kitul flour, biscuits made with gram and
potatoes. The University of Wayamba offered veralu ice cream for Rs. 30
a cone. The two students at the machine encouraged the hesitant
customers promising them “if you try it once, you will try it again.”
When asked if they had patented it, they sadly shook their heads and
said “not yet.” From ice cream to kalu dodol; not just one tray but four
trays with an immensely hospitable exhibitor (yes, that is what they are
called for they wore a tag like a tie round their necks to say so)
behind the counter.
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Veralu ice cream |
“This tray has dodol made with very little coconut milk, this tray
has the perfect dodol, this has dodol with oil, this has dodol with no
oil” he kept explaining to those who stopped to sample his products.
From dodol to papadam. Straight from the frying pan to the tissue on my
palm.
“Till now we imported papadam from India. This is our very own local
papadam” explained the chef, dressed in a white hat with an apron
wrapped round his sarong. And to wash it all down the stall in front
offered free drinks made with soursop and guwawa.
The outdoor stalls finally fulfilled my expectations of an
agricultural exhibition. Here were lush gotukola and mukunuwanna growing
in plastic pots, Anthuriams, roses, and even a huge dragon fruit with
the lovely pink fruit hanging from every branch.
But what of the dryer? Perhaps 10 o’clock in the morning was too
early to be searching for it. Most of the stalls which may have had the
machine had no ‘competent authority to give us further information’.
“The person who is in charge is on his way. Please come back in ten
minutes” said the solitary figures who sat vigilant in most of the
stalls.
“You can dry cheese with this. But not tea” explained one exhibitor,
shattering our expectations. Yes, there was no dryer, but disappointed
we were not. We walked out carrying bags filled with goods we never
expected we would purchase at an agricultural show.
Two packets of papadam. A ceramic turtle. The DVD of Sound of Music.
And a gadget like an egg beater said to be able to drive your stress
away.
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