MINING ‘KAKKA’

 I recall a hot morning; the backwater shimmered in light. A lot of people were engaged in mining ‘Kakkas’ (Fresh Water Green Mussels), Perna viridis  belonging to Mytilus species, which were cleaned and brought to the shore. They were very busy; they had to complete their task while the backwater was calm and they had to get out before the turbulence commenced. The big mussels were boiled to remove the flesh inside. This is tasty when fried in coconut oil with pepper, salt and sliced small onions. I knew that the shells were then sold to the lime furnaces or to the Travancore Cements Company at Kottayam to manufacture white cement.

Excerpts from

MEMOIRS

An autobiography

by

Joseph J. Thayamkeril

Lawyer, Kochi, Kerala, India.

josephjthayamkeril.blogspot.com

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