Tubers in myriad shapes, colours and size fill up every available space at Omalloor Krishi Vaibhavam market, just behind the panchayat office at Omalloor, about five kilometres from Pathanamthitta. It spills out of shops into sidewalks, alleys and streets. I seek the help of Gopalakrishnan, manning one of the outlets, to identify some of the tubers.
He reels off the names effortlessly in one breath. “Chena (yam), paal chembu and mutta chembu (two kinds of colocasia), kaachil (elephant foot yam), madhura kizhangu (sweet potato), valli kizhangu (white yam), nana kizhangu (lesser yam), koorkka (Chinese potato), manjal (turmeric), kooravu (arrowroot), inji (ginger), manga inji (mango ginger), kappa (tapioca)....”
