The traditional ring made in Payyannur in Kannur district is considered sacred for the presence of a blade of grass with ritualistic importance. The ring made of gold and silver and the holy grass is symbolic of the divine trinity of Hinduism. The ring is worn on the right ring finger. The ring is supposed to protect the wearer from evil. The ring is put on only during rituals and it has to be taken off after the rites are finished.

The sought-after golden bananas are named after a former feudal dynasty in the erstwhile princely state of Kochi. The lords of Thalappally in Kochi bore the title of Chengazhi Nambiars and their seat of power came to be called as Chengazhikkod. The place was also home to a particular variety of bananas which were offered to the Travancore Sree Padmanabha Swami Temple. The bananas are still in demand during Onam. It is cultivated widely in Thayyur, Erumappetti and Kariyannur in Thrissur district.

Though Alappuzha is too low-lying and warm to cultivate cardamom, one of the most famous varieties of cardamom is named after the former port town. The most prized of all cardamom crops from the Western Ghats were meant for import during the era of the kings. Because they were shipped off to different places from Alappuzha, they were called Alappuzha green cardamom. Read Story

The metallurgic mirror made by hereditary artisans in the Aranmula village has become a symbol of the rich heritage of Kerala. Aranmula kannadi is unique since the reflection is made on the metallic surface rather than the mercury painted on the back of ordinary mirrors. The metalwork is entirely manual in Aranmula. Read Story

India's pineapple capital is Vazhakkulam in Ernakulam district. The village has cultivated pineapple since 1945. The cultivation gradually radiated to surrounding areas. Currently acres of farm land in Pathanamthitta, Kottayam and Kozhikode districts are dedicated to pineapple. Vazhakkkulam pineapple was thrown into the limelight with the bestowal of a GI tag. Read Story

The rice with medicinal property is recommended for children and sick people. The rice variety has been liberally used in ayurveda and folk medicine. It is known by a variety of names such as njavara, navira, njavira, namara, nakara and nakarapuncha. The crop is harvested two times a year. Research done in the Kerala Agricultural University has found that the rice variety contains genes similar to those which express proteins that hamper cancerous growth. Read Story

The fragrant varieties of rice are endemic to Wayanad. The chilly climate of the hills is thought to impart the rice grains their aroma. The 'Jeerakasala' variety is short and it thrives with very little sunlight. As the name indicates, the slender rice grains resemble cumin seeds. They make delicious biriyani and ghee rice. The gandhakasala variety is stouter and shinier like hay. The plant grows up to four feet. The rice grains smell like sandalwood. They are precious because the yield is only half of ordinary crops. The unique crops are grown in the Chekadi and Thirunelli areas of Wayanad.

If mats are woven out of bamboo or palm leaves the world over, Kerala's famed thazhappaya is made of the leaves of the thazha plant, which is also called kaitha or attukaitha in local parlance. The leaves are shaven off to remove the thorny parts and then boiled in water before they are woven into mats. The leaves grow in bunches on top of the plant. Their flowers are fragrant. A village named Thazhava near Karunagappally in Kollam district is famous for thazhappaya making. Read Story

The Connolly plantation at Nilambur in Malappuram district has the distinction of being the world's oldest teak plantation. The trees grow to a dizzying height of 50 metres. They are renowned for their peculiar scent and the distinct annual ring formation. The plantation is named after the man responsible for its establishment, former Malabar collector H V Connolly. They are also called Malabar teak. Read Story

The Central Travancore jaggery aka "pathiyan" jaggery is made of sugarcane that thrive on the banks of the Pampa, Achankovil, Manimala and Meenachil rivers. Most of the production is centred around the Thiruvanvandoor and Pandanad panchayats. This particular type of jaggery is thought to be medicinal and is an ingredient for several traditional medicines. It is made organically without the addition of any chemical additives. The Central Travancore jaggery comes looser than the other variations. It is flavoured with cardamom and cumin seeds. During the manufacturing process, the sugarcane juice is clarified with lime and okra juice. It comes in several forms, including a ball, powder or liquid. High in calcium, this jaggery is fragrant and colourful.

Kanthallur near Marayur in Kerala's eastern highlands is blessed with a climate that allows sugarcane cultivation through the year. That explains the abundance of jaggery named after Marayur. It does not have any salty taste and is rich in iron and calcium. Pure Marayur jaggery is very dark in colour, and it is known as black jaggery in several places. The jaggery ball has a unique texture because it is rolled by hand. The main ingredients in Marayur jaggery is sugarcane juice and calcium and the sodium bicarbonate used to remove the impurities. Sugarcane farmers of Marayur make the jaggery in conventionally made moulds. It is called "achuvellam". Read Story

The Kuthambulli village by the Bharathappuzha river on the Thrissur-Palakkad border has made a reputation with its garments. The weavers in the village trace their ancestry to royal weavers who served the Mysore kings. The Devanga community settled by the Bharathappuzha river on the request of the Kochi king about 400 years ago. About 500 families are in the business of weaving unique mundus and sets, Kerala's traditional attire. Read Story

The Balaramapuram kaithari owes its existence thanks to the Travancore king who invited Shali weavers from Tamil Nadu to the quaint village near Thiruvananthapuram. The king, Balarama Varma, brought 10 weaver families from Tamil Nadu to settle in Anthikkatt near Neyyattinkara. The village gradually came to be known after the king and the hand loom product after the newly named village.

Chendamangalam had been the base of Paliath Achan family, who were the wealthy chief ministers to the Maharajas of Cochin. One of the Paliath Achans once met a weaver from Andhra Pradesh and was impressed by the quality of his handloom. He asked the weaver to stay at Chendamangalam and teach people how this was made. Earlier, the threads were brought from Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. Later, indigenous threads were made at Chendamangalam itself. As time passed, Chendamangalam handloom earned respect from people all over the country. The designs made using the age-old techniques still have an unparalleled appeal. Presently, it is proud product of Kerala. Read Story

Kasaragod saree came into existence in 1938. There have been many cooperative societies which made this product. Earlier, the product had no brand name. People called it Kasaragod sarees as it was made in Kasaragod. These sarees received wide-spread appreciation from many markets in and outside the country. The origins of Kasaragod sarees lie in the traditional Karnataka textile methods. Read Story

This indigenous rice is a unique saline tolerant rice variety of Kerala. This is cultivated organically in the water-logged coastal regions of the state with extensive agriculture techniques. Presently, Pokkali paddy fields are spread about 5,000 hectares area in Alappuzha, Thrissur and Ernakulam districts. The single-season paddy is raised in saltwater fields between June and November followed by a season of fish-farming. After the harvest, the paddy stubble in the fields act as food and shelter for shrimp and small fish. Fish excreta and scales, along with the decomposed stubble, provide excellent natural manure for another season of Pokkali. In order to survive in the water-logged field, the rice plants grow up to 130-140 cm. The brand Pokkali has received a GI tag from the Geographical Indications Registry Office, Chennai. Read Story

This unique rice is cultivated along the coastal brackish waters in the northern parts of Kerala. The Kaipad rice is known for its special organic cultivation technique called as paddy-shrimp cultivation or Kaipad farming. Rice cultivation and shrimp catching is done on the same field that forms the part of the extensive water-logging in the swampy low-lying areas. Kuthiru, Orkkayama, Orpandy, Kandorkutty, Mundon, Odiyan, Ezhom-1, Ezhom-2 are some of the verities of the seeds.

As the name suggests, this rice variety is produced in Kerala's Palakkad district. Thavalakannan, Chenkazhama, Aryan, Cheera, Ilappappoochamban, Chiteni, Iravappandy, Cheriya Aryan, Valiya Chamban, Chuvanna Modan, Kunhu Kunhu, Jyothi are some of the varities of Palakkadan Matta rice. The rice is cultivated in a traditional organic way. It is also known as Kerala red rice. It is known for its coarseness and health benefits.

The sesame cultivated in the Onattukara region spanning the Mavelikkara, Karthikappally, Kunnathur and Karunagappally taluks in Alappuzha district has more medicinal value than ordinary varieties. Local farmers use a special seed named "ayali" for cultivation. Scientifically named Sesamum indicum, the seeds contain large amounts of oil, at least 50 percent. They are powerhouses of calcium, phosphorous and vitamins. Read Story

The world came to the Kerala coast for pepper. Malabar pepper is still the hot favourite in kitchens across the globe.

The betel leafs collected from the Thiroor, Thanoor, Thiroorangadi and Kuttippuram areas of Malappuram district is bigger and darker than the rest. The variety is much sought-after amid pan chewers in north India and even Pakistan. The Thiroor variety is also used for medicinal purposes to keep at bay bad breath and indigestion. The vines are grown in the rainy seasons, one crop for each monsoon.

The robusta variety has many takers in the international market. Robusta is grown amid shady trees in Wayanad using traditional farming methods. Both the robusta and arabica varieties of Wayanad have been granted GI tags.

The percussion instrument is unique in that it is still made the traditional way as it was used to be made a hundred years ago. The drums are made of buffalo skin and chambak, karingali or jackfruit wood. The two heads of the maddalam produce different sounds. Read Story

When craftsmen let the coconut husks rot in the lakes of Alappuzha and beat them into a pulp and weaved them into sturdy ropes, they became a favourite item even in foreign countries. The GI tagged fibre rope has seen better days but it is still being exported. Read Story

Now handicraft from coconut shell is nothing new but in Kerala the ubiquitous become unique when the shells are welded together with bronze. Several places in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode are known for the process that uses coconut shells and bronze to make handicraft including drinking cups, flower vases, boxes and ladles.