Watery Wonders: Babbi and Family Explore the Tasty Offerings of Our Disappearing Wetlands
Dad returned from a trip to Bihar with a huge packet of makhana seeds. “It was so much cheaper there,” he told Mom. “We are set for a week of protein rich snacks now,” he said happily. Babbi always found it funny that her Dad could get so excited about simple food.
“Why are these cheaper in Bihar?” Babbi could not resist asking. Father’s eyes lit up—it was as if he wanted her to ask this question.
“Makhana are seeds of water lily and grow in wetlands which are common in Bihar. Wetlands are areas which are under water permanently or for at least a few days,” he explained. “There are areas in Bihar where this plant has been cultivated for centuries. Most of the makhana in the country is grown in just a small area in this state,” he added.
“Is that because there are wetlands only in Bihar?” Babbi wanted to know.
He did not know the answer but he quickly checked on the internet and found that around 4.8 per cent of the country was considered to be a wetland. The wetlands in Bihar constitute only a small portion of this but the climatic conditions in the state are most suitable for the growth of makhana. He also informed her that the Keoladeo Bird Sanctuary in Bharatpur, that they had visited last year, was a man-made wetland.
Babbi remembered the beautiful birds that she had seen there. She was finding wetlands very intriguing and wanted to know what else grew in them in other states.
“Many things,” Dad said and started listing them: “Lotus stems or kamal kakdi which we use as a vegetable, singhada or water chestnut that we eat as fruit, plants like taro and water spinach that are used as vegetables, cash crops like jute and even rice and sugarcane all grow easily in wetlands.”
“But Babbi, we now have a problem,” he went on. “These wetlands are getting destroyed due to multiple reasons such as climate change which impacts rainfall patterns, changing water flows due to dams on rivers, encroachments for buildings and roads, and pollution due to sewage and chemicals."
“So we will lose all this food that you like,” Babbi said. She knew that her dad loved most of the things that grew in these wetlands.
“There is a lot of demand for these foods, Babbi,” Dad said. “So entrepreneurs are finding ways to protect these wetlands. For example, people are growing makhana in ponds on private land in Bihar,” he explained. “But the problem is that wetland farming has become very expensive now as more effort is needed to grow these plants,” he said ruefully.
“There are efforts to protect wetlands and there is even a convention for this. This means that lots of money is being put in to protect the wetlands. So let us not lose heart and enjoy the present. Let’s go to the kitchen and sauté these fox nuts in ghee and enjoy them with tea.”
“What fox nut?” Babbi was perplexed. “These,” Dad took out a handful of makhana. “These are called fox nuts in English,” he grinned.
The lightly salted makhanas were ready in a jiffy and Babbi was soon chomping on them happily.
(This story is also featured in On A Good Food Hunt (2025), published by the Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi.)
Consultant, Biodiversity and Food, Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi