Shopping in Vizag: 6 things you must buy on your trip to Araku Valley

Araku is one of the prominent destinations for both residents, and visiting tourists, of Vizag. With a mesmerising journey of over 100 kms in 4 hours, the people of Vizag revere this place as an ideal weekend getaway. While many miss out on the must-haves and must-buy items on this trip, from aromatic coffee to spicy black pepper, here is a list of 6 things you must buy on your trip to Araku Valley in Vizag. 

#1 Araku Valley Coffee

It’s hard to leave Araku Valley in Vizag without taking a sip of this unique and eco-friendly coffee. Nestled amid the scenic Eastern Ghats, Araku Valley has been famous for its versatile coffee produce. Visitors can savour the richness of Araku Valley Coffee at Hut Arabica in Vizag. These products are sold at Girijan Cooperative Corporation (GCC) outlets in the city. 

#2 Handmade chocolates

At Hut Arabica, one can choose from a unique assortment of chocolates, in various flavours such as peanut butter, coffee biscuit, coconut, honeydew, and honey with almonds. The chocolates made in the Araku Valley promise a treat to kids and adults alike. Another showstopper are the coffee bean chocolates. The chocolate-covered coffee beans, made by coating roasting coffee beans, are a treat to taste. 

#3 Bamboo chicken

The Bamboo (bongulo) chicken in Araku has been drawing foodies from far and wide to the valley. This delicacy is cooked inside a piece of the green bamboo stalk and uses a locally found herb to make the marination, giving the chicken a unique taste. You can also find a row of these stalls in Chaparai, another popular tourist destination near Araku. 

#4 Strawberries

Plucking ripened strawberries, and taking beautiful pictures with the plantations and fields, has been beckoning nature lovers to Araku Valley. The tribal community and the others have been encouraged to take up strawberry cultivation, as the soil and the area are the best fit for strawberry cultivation. Today, these plantations have turned into tourist destinations. 

#5 Madugula Halwa

Madhugula Halwa is also called ‘the secret to a happy marriage’. This sweet, initially sold only in the Madugula village, is a take-home item for everyone visiting Vizag and Araku. The sweet is 130-years-old, yet is known for no change in taste. It is made by hand and there is no machine used. 

#6 Pepper & other spices

Along with coffee plantations, the Araku Valley is also home to pepper, ginger, tamarind, nuts and other spices. Majorly, pepper is grown as an intercrop inside the coffee plantations. The tribals export this pepper across borders. With many medical benefits, pepper and other spices are a few of the things you must buy on your trip to Araku Valley in Vizag.