The train slowly chugs over the 135 year old, 1.2 KM long Golden Bridge over the  wide, perennial Narmada, & comes to a screeching halt at the Bharuch Station. But you never hear it as it is drowned by the orchestrated symphony by over million birds that rest in the Victorian era trusses of the station, beside the river. You immediately know that this place  has life.

Bharuch is the second oldest city in India with continuous inhabitation , next to Varanasi. Though it is a small town even today,  it is kept alive today by the  India’s largest liquid handling port & Industries at Dahej 45 KM away & the chemical industrial hub of Ankleshwar 20 KM away.

The wide Narmada has been the source of fertility & prosperity of Bharuch  even before the 3^rd century

Oops!! I forgot the theme of this series for a moment & am wandering elsewhere . Getting back.

Bharuch is famous for salted peanuts and sesame seeds (Jyothika’s Idhayam nalla ennai seeds come from this place).  Our courtship in this post will be with the Bharuch Salted Peanuts (BSP).

A   BSP – deshelled- deskinned, roasted & salted -  is easily distinguishable by its uniform size & ivory colour.  The soul of  the Narmada  & the black cotton soil   imparts  the  rich full bodied flavor with  an oil free taste. The light salting takes it to a level unmatched.

Peanuts are common & popular across world. There are cricketers & there is Sachin. Likewise there are peanuts and there is BSP. It is pocket friendly and available freely in Gujarat & some specialty Gujarati food stores across the world.

Still believing that Gandhiji’s diet of goat’s milk & peanuts was frugal? Nope. Have the BSP’s daily for a year, & you will be ready for another Dandi March, even after 20 years from now. Chennaites can lay their hands on it at Mithaimandir- Temple Street, Vadapalani.