The Hot South

The southern Indian economy thrives on spices and rice, as well as coconut and its by-products. This is also the land of tea and coffee plantations, and the golden harvests of rice. A huge industry has grown up based around coconut - as well as cooking with the flesh and milk, coconut oil is used all over southern India; the outer shell is cleaned and polished to make bowls, and other parts of the plant are used to make such essentials as roofs and pillars for rural huts. In more far-flung country areas, the outer hairy coir is used as a cooking fuel.