Justicia wynaadensis.. does that sound like Greek or Latin to you? Well, you are partially right because it is the botanical name (these are usually latinised versions) of a plant called madd toppu in the Coorg region of India’s Karnataka state.
In Coorg, leaves of this plant are said to hold maximal medicinal properties on the eighteenth day of the Kakkada month of the Kodava calender (may be in July or August). This is the festival called Kakkada Padinett. On this day, madd toppu leaves are said to emit a strange sweet unique fragrance which is not evident a day prior or after that. They are plucked and made into cakes or sweet porridge. You can read more about it here.
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| Madd toppu |
Coorg or Kodava cuisine has some wonderful and distinctive preparations. Do try to sample them when you visit Coorg.
Enjoy!
Now that's a really interesting plant, especially with the fragrance on just one day and all.
Bhavya from the AtoZ Challenge blogging at Just Another Blog
Thanks Archana, I read your link as well – most interesting!
Susan Scott's Soul Stuff
Thanks.