#Nutmeg exporter

[viral-spices]

How Nutmeg Exporters Ensure Quality and Freshness

India is one of the leading exporters of spices in the world, and among the various spices it produces, nutmeg holds a special place. This aromatic spice, known for its distinct flavour and several health benefits, is a staple in kitchens worldwide. However, the journey from an Indian farm to the global market is complex, with quality and freshness being the top priorities. Nutmeg exporters in India employ extensive measures to ensure that the nutmeg reaching your kitchens is of the highest standard, maintaining its freshness and potency.

Overview of Nutmeg Exporting

Exporting nutmeg involves several steps, right from harvesting to packaging. Nutmeg exporters in India like Kisan Agro, have perfected this process over the years, ensuring that every step is taken toward preserving the quality of the spice. Nutmeg, derived from the seed of the Myristica fragrans tree, is highly sensitive to factors such as moisture, temperature, and handling. Therefore, the journey from farm to export requires careful planning and execution.

Harvesting and Processing Post-Harvest

A nutmeg journey starts at the farm, where it is harvested at its peak ripeness. The best nutmeg fruits are picked by farmers, and then split to show the seed within them. The seeds are then dried in an environment that is monitored to reduce their moisture content. This process is vital since excess water can cause mould to grow and spoil them. Nutmeg exporters like Kisan Agro ensure that the drying process is closely monitored to retain essential oils which give the spice its strong aroma and flavour.

Nutmeg seeds after being dried undergo further processing to remove any impurities. It involves sorting the seeds based on their sizes and quality whereby only the top ones are selected for export. The seeds are then cracked open to extract the kernel, which is the actual nutmeg. These kernels are further dried to achieve the desired moisture level, ensuring they are ready for long-term storage and transport.

Quality Control Measures

Exporters always put quality and freshness first when exporting nutmeg. Among other things, Nutmeg exporters in India implement strict quality control measures throughout the production cycle. These include tests done on nutmeg for its moisture content, essential oil levels, and presence of contaminants among others. For instance, Kisan Agro ensures every batch of nutmeg conforms to international standards using modern technology.

One practical example of this commitment to quality can be seen in Kisan Agro’ approach to packaging. Nutmeg can easily lose its taste or smell due to external factors if not properly packed. Kisan Agro uses vacuum-sealed packaging and oxygen barrier materials to protect the nutmeg from air and moisture, thereby preserving its freshness during transit. It’s through such carefulness that once at the destination place, the freshness and sweetness will remain as that of the farm.

Transportation and Export

During export, transportation plays a crucial role in maintaining the quality of nutmeg. Nutmeg exporters are very careful with the mode of transport used to ensure that it is not subjected to extreme temperatures or humidity. For example, when shipping nutmeg, Kisan Agro uses refrigerated containers for it to be maintained within optimal temperature throughout its movement.

Additionally, spice exporting companies adhere to strict international laws governing spice exports. This involves adhering to Phytosanitary standards that ensure the absence of pests and diseases from nutmeg. Kisan Agro works closely with regulatory bodies to ensure that all their exports meet these stringent requirements, giving their customers confidence in the quality and safety of the product.

Conclusion

Nutmeg exporting from India is a complex process that requires careful attention to detail at every stage. Kisan Agro, the leading Nutmeg exporters in India goes above and beyond to ensure that the nutmeg reaching international markets is of the highest quality, retaining its freshness, flavour, and aroma. Through rigorous quality control measures, advanced packaging techniques, and a commitment to excellence, we have established ourselves as leaders in the global spice market.

FAQs 1) How do you preserve fresh nutmeg? To preserve fresh nutmeg, store it in an airtight container in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight.

2) What is the shelf life of nutmeg? The shelf life of whole nutmeg is about 3-4 years, while ground nutmeg lasts about 6-12 months when stored properly.

3) What steps do nutmeg exporters take to ensure the quality of their products? Nutmeg exporters ensure quality by selecting premium seeds, drying them properly, conducting rigorous quality checks, and using secure packaging to maintain freshness during transport.

4) How is the freshness of nutmeg maintained during export? The freshness of nutmeg during export is maintained through climate-controlled shipping and vacuum-sealed packaging that protects it from moisture and air.

5) Who is a leading Nutmeg exporter in India? Kisan Agro is a leading nutmeg exporter in India.

[shree-1r]

[fazalkhan2914]

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[kapadiyaexpocompany]

Kapadiya Expo Company is the one of the most rising Manufacturer, supplier and exporter of spices, herbal products, fresh fruits & vegetables, dehydrated fruits & vegetables, pluses & grains though the world. Contact us now for agro related products.

[piyaliagrofood]

[najia-cooks]

[ID: An extreme close-up of ground spices in various shades of brown and orange laid out in lines on a plate. End ID]

سبع بهارات فلسطينية / Seb'a baharat falastinia (Palestinian seven-spice)

Seb'a baharat is one of a few spice blends often referred to in English simply as “baharat” (the plural of Arabic بهار / bahar, “spice”). A warm, earthy blend, it is commonly used to season meat, fish, and poultry in the Levant, Eastern Arabia, and Egypt, where recipes differ from region to region and from person to person. Common ingredients include cumin, cardamom, black pepper, nutmeg, and cinnamon.

Palestinian versions of seb'a baharat are usually dominated by allspice, black pepper, and cinnamon, giving them a pungent and sweet head; nutmeg, cloves, and cardamom provide additional warmth, while cumin and coriander often round out the blend with earthiness and a hint of florality. Ginger is also an occasional inclusion.

By the early 2010s, decades of Israeli taxation on exports and imports of non-Israeli goods had eroded Palestinian economic and culinary self-determination; Israel had instituted further blockades of the Gaza border in 2007, leading to a sharp decline in exports. Several farmers in Gaza turned to growing spices and herbs, including cumin and ginger, on their farms with the intention of finding a profitable market for them in Europe. However, frequent border closings, punitive export taxes, and Israeli shooting at Palestinian farmers who were attempting to work their land, made the plan unviable.

More recently, Palestinians have continued to work to find new ways to produce food despite shrinking access to arable land and fresh water. Resisting Israeli targeting of Palestinian food self-sufficiency is a matter, not just of subsistence and economic power, but of identity and dignity.

Today, Israel's total siege of Gaza continues as civilians run out of food, water, power, and medical supplies. Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) has put out an urgent call for donations to provide medical supplies to hospitals when supply lines reopen. Also contact your representatives in the USA, UK, and Canada.

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp ground allspice (6.6g; 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp allspice berries)

1/2 Tbsp ground black pepper (6.2g; 1/2 Tbsp black peppercorns)

1/2 Tbsp ground cinnamon (5.3g; 1 large stick Chinese cassia)

1 1/4 tsp ground coriander (2g; 1 1/2 tsp coriander seeds)

1 tsp ground nutmeg (1.4g; 1/2 nutmeg)

1 tsp ground cloves (2g; 1 1/4 tsp whole cloves)

1 tsp ground cardamom (scant 1/2 Tbsp pods; 2.6g just seeds)

3/4 tsp ground cumin (2.1g; scant tsp cumin seeds)

Instructions:

1. In a mortar and pestle or using the flat of a knife, roughly crush nutmeg and cinnamon.

2. In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast whole spices one at a time until each is strongly fragrant. Remove from heat and allow to cool in a single layer on a large plate.

3. Grind all spices together in a mortar and pestle or a spice mill. Pass through a sieve to remove large pieces. Store in an airtight jar in a cool, dark place.

[fatehbaz]

Americans [...] would sip the rich cocoa as a hot drink. Cocoa made its way to North America on the same ships that transported rum and sugar from the Caribbean and South America [...] and was heavily reliant on the labor of enslaved Africans throughout the diaspora. [...] [B]y the early 1700s, Boston, Newport, New York and Philadelphia were processing cocoa into chocolate to export and to sell domestically. Chocolate was popular in the coffeehouse culture and was processed for sale and consumption by enslaved laborers in the North. Farther south, in Virginia, cocoa was becoming [...] so popular that it is estimated that approximately one-third of Virginia’s elite was consuming cocoa in some form or another. For the wealthy, this treat was sipped multiple times a week; for others it was out of reach. [...]

The art of chocolate-making – roasting beans, grinding pods onto a stone over a small flame – was a labor-intensive task. An enslaved cook would have had to roast the cocoa beans on the open hearth, shell them by hand, grind the nibs on a heated chocolate stone, and then scrape the raw cocoa, add milk or water, cinnamon, nutmeg or vanilla, and serve it piping hot.

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One of the first chocolatiers in the Colonies was an enslaved cook named Caesar.

Born in 1732, Caesar was the chef at Stratford Hall, the home of the Lees of Virginia, and in his kitchen sat one of only three chocolate stones in the Colony. The other two were located at the governor’s palace and at the Carter family estate, belonging to one of the wealthiest families in Virginia. Caesar was responsible for cooking multiple meals a day for the Lees and any free person who came to visit. [...]

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The work was oppressive in the plantation kitchens at Christmas time. [...]

[T]hose working in the big house kitchen and as domestic laborers were expected to work around the clock to ensure a perfect holiday for the white family. The biggest task at hand was to cook and serve Christmas dinner, and chocolate was a favorite addition to the three-course formal dinner. [...] Oyster stew, meat pies, roasted pheasant, puddings, roasted suckling pig and Virginia ham are some of the many dishes that would be served in just one course. The night would finish with the sipping of chocolate: toasted, ground and spiced [...] and served in sipping-cups made specifically for drinking chocolate. [...]

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Decades before the two well-known enslaved chefs, Monticello’s James Hemings and George Washington’s Chef Hercules, [...] Caesar was running one of the Colonies’ most prestigious kitchens inside of Stratford Hall, and making chocolate for the Lees and their guests. [...] [H]is son, Caesar Jr., lived nearby and was the postillion [...].

The stress of cooking the most important dinner of the year was combined with the fear of what was to come on Jan. 1. New Year’s Day was commonly known as heartbreak day, when enslaved folks would be sold to pay off debts or rented out to a different plantation. Jan. 1 represented an impending doom, and the separation of families and loved ones. [...] Caesar disappeared from the records by the end of the 18th century. By 1800, his son Caesar Jr. was still owned by the Lees, but as that year ended, Christmas came and went, and Caesar Jr. was put up for collateral by Henry Lee for payment of his debts.

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The world Caesar lived in was one fueled by the Columbian Exchange, which was built from enslaved labor [...]: pineapples, Madeira wine, port, champagne, coffee, sugar and cocoa beans. These items traveled from plantation to dining room via the Atlantic trade, and were central to securing the reputation of Virginia’s plantation elite. The more exotic and delicious the food, the more domestic fame one would reap. Having cocoa delivered directly to your home, and having a chocolatier in the kitchen, were exceptional. It was through Caesar’s culinary arts that Stratford Hall became well-known throughout Colonial Virginia as a culinary destination.

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All text above by: Kelley Fanto Deetz. “Oppression in the kitchen, delight in the dining room: The story of Caesar, an enslaved chef and chocolatier in Colonial Virginia.” The Conversation. 21 December 2020. [Bold emphasis and some paragraph breaks/contractions added by me.]

[loominggaia]

GREENHEARSTIAN CUISINE

(This time we are learning about the traditional cuisine of Greenhearst, hometown of Evan Atlas!)

OVERVIEW

Greenhearst is often called “Evangeline’s breadbasket” because most of the kingdom’s grains are grown here. But Greenhearstians farm a wide variety of other crops too, most notably apples, potatoes, and squashes. This territory exports a lot of locally-made beers and ciders all over the world, so peoples far and wide can get a taste of Greenhearst. Many of Evangeline Kingdom’s favorite recipes originate from here, and they are…

BAKED APPLE

The baked apple is a versatile food that can be eaten any time, depending on the ingredients used. It is simply an apple that has been cored and baked until soft. If eaten for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, it is stuffed with brown sugar and minced beef or squash. If eaten for dessert, it is instead stuffed with cream cheese or pudding. It is often flavored with cinnamon.

PUMPKIN PORRIDGE

Pumpkin season is an exciting time for Greenhearstians, as they love to eat pumpkin porridge for breakfast. It is made by mixing cornmeal with pureed pumpkins and tomatoes, then it is usually flavored further with cinnamon and nutmeg. It is full of fiber and vitamins, making it popular with elderly people in particular. Children and the sickly also benefit from eating this food. Greenhearstians even feed pumpkin porridge to their sick livestock to perk them up, and they swear by its miraculous results.

BEEF LOAF

This is a typical lunch or dinner item in Greenhearst, traditionally served alongside mashed potatoes. It is made by mixing ground beef with crumbled bread, eggs, tomato paste, diced onions, and spices. These ingredients are baked into a hearty, delicious loaf that is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

FRYING CHEESE

Though Greenhearst isn’t known for its ranching industry, many of its residents do own their own milk-producing livestock. Locals like to turn this milk into hard cheeses and then fry them on the grill like meat. What makes this dish popular is its versatility and portability. It can be wrapped up and carried around all day, which is ideal for those who work outside. It is often eaten plain, but may also be flavored or paired in countless ways. Tomatoes, mushrooms, peppers, and apples are some of the more common pairings.

APPLE CIDER

Greenhearst is home to vast apple orchards, and it seems there is nothing the locals can’t do with this fruit. Apple cider is such a hot item here that there are entire shops dedicated to it. Keeping the shelves stocked is easy with so many different types and flavors available. Greenhearst produces enough cider to export it to other regions as well, including overseas. This drink, along with beer, support a large chunk of the territory’s economy. Cider comes in alcoholic and non-alcoholic varieties, so it can be enjoyed by people of all ages. It can also be served cold or warm.

POTAPLO CASSEROLE

Thinly-sliced potatoes and apples are arranged in layers and baked in a dish with onions, rosemary, nutmeg, and topped with melted cheese. This dish is so filling, flavorful, and simple to prepare that it has become the most popular dinnertime meal in Greenhearst.

CARAMEL BUTTER BAR

These chewy bars are a common dessert food in the region. A layer of melted caramel is poured onto buttery dough forms, then the bars are topped with crushed hazelnuts and salt. Once they cool, they are solidified and ready to eat. These bars are high in fat and sugar, but locals find it hard to eat them in moderation.

CHICKEN CHILI

A flavorful chili containing chicken, red beans, green beans, carrots, tomatoes, onions, and peppers. It is hard to grow spicy peppers in Greenhearst’s cool-temperate climate, so this chili is quite mild when prepared the traditional way. Regardless, it is hearty and healthy with its plethora of nutritious ingredients.

OTHER

Beer and appelchek are also staples of traditional Greenhearstian cuisine. You can read more about them on the main Evangelite Cuisine article.

SEE ALSO

Cuisine Masterpost

Greenhearst

Queen Indiga Evangeline

Evangelite Fashions

Evangelite Territories

*

Questions/Comments?

Lore Masterpost

Read the Series

[davidstanleytravel]

Grenada, Eastern Caribbean, is the world's second largest exporter of nutmeg.

[southeastasianists]

The divine blend of spices needed to make curry first reached Southeast Asia about 2,000 years ago, when the region began trading with the Indian subcontinent, according to an analysis of ancient spice residue.

The new project analyzed 12 different spice grinding tools unearthed at the ancient trading port of Oc Eo, in modern-day Vietnam, by washing them with water and chemicals. This produced hundreds of tiny fragments that the researchers painstakingly identified (to a reasonable degree of certitude) under a microscope. The results sounded like a shopping list for making curry: turmeric, ginger, fingerroot, sand ginger, galangal, clove, nutmeg and cinnamon.

“These spices are indispensable ingredients used in the making of curry in South Asia today,” the paper says.

Ancient Trading Spices

Where did all these spices comes from?

They could have come from the surrounding countryside. Farmers in Southeast Asia made many of these crops themselves, and if not, they could have imported the seeds and gotten started.

On the other hand, the turmeric could have easily come from India, where use of the spice dates back thousands of years. And the ginger and cloves may have come from India as well, or maybe China.

Cinnamon was widely traded at the time and may have come all the way from Israel.

The galangal, fingerroot and sand ginger are native to Southeast Asia and could easily have come from nearby soils. These more specialized spices are still used in the region’s curry paste.

Footed Grinding Slabs

As a testament to the spice trade’s popularity, the spice grinders made up the majority of the stone tools recovered from Oc Eo and another, nearby city called Angkor Borei. The original archaeological dig at Oc Eo found numerous footed grinding slabs, which look like little stone workbenches for grinding spices – which is what they likely were. Versions of these slabs are still sometimes used in the traditional preparation of curry.

The largest slab recovered measured 2.5 feet by 1 foot. Researchers found it buried not far from a piece of charcoal that dated to about A.D. 250, which hinted at when curry first made its way to the area.

Oc Eo

At that time, the city would have been not just importing and exporting goods but making them as well, according to the paper. Residents raised religious monuments and shaped metal tools, glass jewelry and pottery.

All the while, they would have worked to trade and process many different spices. Archaeologists working there even found an intact nut that dated to about A.D. 200, and it still “yielded a nutmeg aroma,” the paper says.

Now part of Vietnam, Oc Eo once belonged to the ancient kingdom of Funan, which maintained a base of power further up the Mekong River.

In Oc Eo, culture prospered between the first and eighth centuries, during the latter years of the Iron Age. As the site’s ancient canals filled with ships, Buddhism and Hinduism left their own marks on the sprawling complex, including a possible contribution to curry cooking. The need to dye the Buddhist monks’ robes yellow may have first prompted Oc Eo to import turmeric, the paper says.

[rabbitcruiser]

National Rice Pudding Day

All we can think of is a bowl of some good old rice pudding this National Rice Pudding Day taking place on August 9. For many of us, starting from our childhood to our adulthood, rice pudding has been a staple in our diets. Made with a base of rice cooked in milk and sweetened with sugar, syrup, or honey, rice pudding can be found in many cultures and cuisines all over the world. Of course, each region has its own unique take on the dish. Some add nuts and spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, or cardamom to it, while others throw in a dash of wine to give it that wow factor. For a more fragrant look and feel, many people in the Middle East also add pistachio slivers and rose petals before serving it. You can have it hot or cold, and as a breakfast dish or a dessert after dinner. So, how are you having your rice pudding on August 9?

History of National Rice Pudding Day

National Rice Pudding Day celebrates the ancient rice pudding dish in all its glory and greatness. While we may know the sweet version of the dish today, did you know that it actually started out as a savory treat? It is difficult to pinpoint the exact location and time of the creation of rice pudding, but many scholars believe it may have originated in either ancient China or in ancient India. Both these countries have a long history of including rice as well as sugar in their religious and cultural activities, so it only makes sense that the combination of the two may have been included in their cuisines as well. ‘Kheer,’ which is Hindi for rice pudding, was first recorded in ancient India in 6000 B.C., and it was included as a staple in a prescribed Ayurvedic diet regime. It is also interesting to note that the early versions of the Indian rice pudding did not actually include rice or sugar. In place of rice, Indians made use of the cereal grain known as sorghum.

Elsewhere in the world, rice pudding was being made with rice. The grain had reached Europe through exports delivered by water or the Silk Road in the 1300s. Because it was being exported from Asia and was not being grown in Europe, rice automatically became extremely expensive. Thus, rice pudding could only be enjoyed by the elite and royalty of European countries. Before the 1500s, rice pudding was savory in nature. It was made with rice being boiled in a broth with saffron and almond milk. Chefs started including sugar into the dish to make it sweet, and soon a sweetened rice pudding started gaining popularity. It was in the eighteenth century that rice pudding became more commonplace and less expensive, all thanks to globalization. The lowered rice prices meant the grain was in easier reach of the masses, and in today’s world, it is considered to be a cheap, but filling meal.

National Rice Pudding Day timeline

6000 B.C. Indian Rice Pudding for Healthy Living

Ancient India includes rice pudding in the Ayurvedic diet in order to ensure healthy living.

14th Century Forme of Cury in England

Rice pudding, known as Forme of Cury or rice pottage, is made with rice, almond milk, and saffron in English Royal kitchens.

17th Century Sweetened Rice Pudding Recipes

Some of the modern-age rice pudding recipes come from the Tudor time period, and are called ‘whitepot.’

18th – 19th Century Rice Becomes Cheaper

Rice grains become cheaper, allowing access to the public who can now enjoy rice pudding treats, unlike their predecessors.

How To Celebrate National Rice Pudding Day

Make rice pudding

Have a rice pudding contest

Try a new rice pudding recipe

Take a trip down memory lane and make your favorite rice pudding recipe. Because of its versatility, you can choose to have it hot or cold, and for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Rice pudding is one of the highest-rated comfort foods out there because of its gooey, yet grainy texture that leaves one filled with love and warmth.

Participating in a rice pudding competition is one of the best ways to celebrate the day. There are two ways you can go about doing this. You can either hold a rice pudding cooking competition or you can have an eating competition. Whether you choose one, two, or have both, it’s going to be a fun-filled day.

Going back to what is tried and tested can be comforting, but seeking out the new can reward you with invaluable experiences. Give new rice pudding recipes a try. It could be a sweet or a savory recipe, the choice is yours.

5 Facts About Rice That Will Blow Your Mind

Sticky rice for strong cement

White rice is brown rice

Rice is grown everywhere but Antarctica

The shelf-life is decades long

Good for health

The Great Wall of China is held together with sticky rice that has been mixed with calcium carbonate.

All white rice comes from brown rice, and this is because the white rice has the brown coating of bran removed.

Rice is grown everywhere except Antarctica because of the continent’s extremely cold temperatures.

Rice, when stored in a cool and dry environment, will be good to consume for the next 10 to 30 years.

Because rice contains several minerals and antioxidants, it is great for your health, particularly for your skin.

Why We Love National Rice Pudding Day

It’s a celebration of rice pudding

It’s a celebration of ancient times

It’s a celebration of a staple food item

Rice pudding has come a long way in terms of development. It has been enjoyed by millions for centuries. With easy-to-make recipes and simple yet enjoyable taste, rice pudding is loved by many all over the globe.

A look into ancient history will reveal a lot of information on how people led their lives in order to ensure healthy and peaceful living. One historical overview of rice pudding allows us just that benefit of looking into how human civilizations utilized a single rice pudding dish in their daily lives.

Rice is a staple food item for many countries in the world. In fact, 50% of the world’s population consumes rice on a daily basis. Apart from helping our skin stay smooth and supple, rice also aids in healthy hair, is good for our overall health, and keeps our tummies filled and happy.

Source

[viral-spices]

Who Is a Leading Nutmeg Exporter in India for Bulk Purchase?

This blog aims to equip you with the knowledge to make informed decisions when choosing a nutmeg exporter in India for your bulk purchase.

[shree-1r]

[mariacallous]

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has long resisted the concept of a two-state solution, but rarely so explicitly as in the months since the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas and the subsequent war in Gaza. U.S. President Joe Biden insists, however, that there’s a path forward for an independent Palestine in cooperation with Netanyahu’s government. 

“I think we’ll be able to work something out … I think there’s ways in which this could work,” Biden recently told reporters, referring to a potential postwar deal that could establish a Palestinian state while also overcoming his Israeli counterpart’s objections. 

What Biden seemed to have in mind was a Palestinian state that would be both independent and demilitarized. Axios has reported that State Department officials have already been tasked with looking into what a demilitarized Palestine would look like “based on other models from around the world.” 

There is growing acceptance of the idea in the international community as a possible way out of the current conundrum—namely, by assuaging Israeli security concerns and handing Palestinians a state of their own to end the cycle of violence. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said that Australia may recognize a Palestinian state if it was “demilitarized.” There even appears to be backing from some significant players in the Arab world. “We are ready for this state to be demilitarized,” said Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi during a November 2023 news conference in the presence of the Spanish and Belgian prime ministers. Sisi is a close ally of the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, which presumably would have been consulted by Cairo. 

But a minefield of diplomatic challenges needs to be navigated to make this idea a success. None of the existing states and territories without armed forces compare the uniquely difficult circumstances faced by Israelis and Palestinians, and none offers a model that can simply be adopted to resolve one of the most intractable conflicts in one of the world’s most restive regions. 

Nearly 40 countries and territories do not have a standing army, and nearly all are relatively small in size and population. Many are island states, such as Grenada, famous for its nutmeg exports, or Dominica, known for its natural hot springs and tropical rainforests. Many have protection from bigger, well-armed states such as the United States, or from NATO for some of those that lie in Europe. 

Liechtenstein, however, has neither a military nor NATO membership, and yet it indirectly benefits from NATO’s protective umbrella. 

“If there’s a war, there will be many other countries that will be crossed first,” Liechtenstein’s ambassador to the European Union, Pascal Schafhauser, told Foreign Policy in his office in Brussels. Tucked between Austria and Switzerland, the landlocked nation coordinates policing efforts with its immediate neighbors and is, by default, protected by militarily stronger neighbors such as Germany and France in the extended region. The roughly 40,000 inhabitants of Liechtenstein reside in a peaceful and prosperous region, and they have not yet found a compelling reason to reverse the decision that led to demilitarization of the country in 1868.

Liechtenstein and Palestine, however, could not be any more different. While Liechtenstein’s geography and equally prosperous neighbors guard it from external threats, the Palestinian territories are cheek-to-jowl with Israel—their arch foe. Furthermore, an independent Palestine would still have to reckon with a meddlesome Iran, which is likely to keep aiding nonstate armed groups—such as Hezbollah and the Houthis—in firing rockets at Israel and challenging the stability of any arrangement.

Costa Rica is often hailed as a paragon of development in the Latin American region. While there are many factors behind its success, at least one of them is widely considered to be demilitarization. Back in 1948, Costa Rica abolished the military, and unlike some of its neighbors, it hasn’t been embroiled in coups and military takeovers since. Instead, it has spent the money that would go toward a defense budget on human development. Unlike Palestine, however, none of its neighbors are trying to invade its territory or instigate an armed uprising. 

The changing internal security dynamics in Costa Rica nonetheless offer a lesson. In a recent paper titled “The Myth of Demilitarization in Costa Rica,” Markus Hochmüller and Markus-Michael Müller highlight the fact that crime is on the rise there, and that there are calls to hand increased powers to heavily armed special policing units such as the Fuerza Especial Operativa. This illustrates the danger that even a basic policing structure could be militarized at a later stage. 

Haiti, on the other hand, is a classic example of how a demilitarized state can be crippled internally by local armed gangs. The United Nations Security Council has once again agreed to send foreign troops to help the government reclaim the neighborhoods and essential infrastructure that have been seized by criminal gangs. 

If Hamas doesn’t agree to disarm, and other armed groups in Gaza are not on board with the final settlement, there are similar worries of continued unrest, not just between these groups and Israel, but also between them and the authorities of an independent Palestinian state. 

The case of the Solomon Islands’ embrace of Beijing shows that even if demilitarized a state can choose belligerent military allies that can reshape broader security dynamics in a region. For a long time, the Pacific nation had been under Australia’s security influence, but midway through 2023, Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare met with his Chinese counterpart and signed an agreement to boost policing cooperation that would allow Beijing to train its police officers. 

The Palestinian territories are vastly different from any of these countries, as it fears an imminent threat from its own neighbor, faces disunity over what qualifies as a settlement within its own population, and is the victim of an Iranian agenda to expand its regional influence. 

From the Israeli perspective, being absent on the ground in Gaza could result in another Oct. -like attack by insurgents who don’t recognize Israel’s right to exist. 

Eran Lerman, a former deputy national security advisor of Israel, told Foreign Policy that at best, Israel would accept a “1.8-state solution” with serious restrictions that would keep Palestinians from pursuing their own independent policies in matters of defense. 

“First, we need to retain some sort of control of borders so we can see what’s coming in,” Lerman said. “Secondly, we need to have a say on how many and what kind of arms Palestine can keep and on the size of the police and security forces it can have to ensure it doesn’t turn into a military in the future.” 

Netanyahu has instread proposed a “state minus,” which would include limitations on sovereignty and guarantees to Israel beyond demilitarization, which observers say is more in sync with the public mood among Israelis.

“Would a Palestinian state be allowed to enter into a military agreement with Iran? Or to conduct military exercises with Hezbollah?” said Daniel Schwammenthal, the director of the American Jewish Committee’s Transatlantic Institute in Brussels. He argued that “Palestine must agree to not enter into defense agreements with enemy states of Israel,” for instance. 

Nour Odeh, a Palestinian political analyst, said the key question from Palestinians’ point of view was not whether a prospective state has a military, but rather the final border settlement. 

“Is it going to be Bantustan or on the ’67 borders? That’s more important,” she told Foreign Policy over the phone from Ramallah, referencing Palestinian fears that Israel intends to keep control of large chunks of the West Bank in a way that keeps Palestinian lands disjointed. “If Israel would not attack, would not invade, if there are international guarantees to that effect, then having a military is not exactly a Palestinian priority, in my opinion,” she added. 

But not every Palestinian may feel the same way. Schwammenthal pointed out that according to a recent poll conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research, 72 percent of Palestinians backed Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack. He said that proved that support for an armed movement Palestinians was high. 

Sisi, the Egyptian president, has proposed that the security concerns of both Israelis and Palestinians could be answered if a multinational security force was deployed to facilitate the transition. “There can also be guarantees of forces, whether NATO forces, United Nations forces, or Arab or American forces, until we achieve security for both states, the nascent Palestinian state and the Israeli state,” he said back in November. Some Israeli intellectuals backed the idea of a multinational and committed force, but they want to try that out in Gaza first to see if it works.

And all this presupposes that Netanyahu, or any conceivable successor, would earnestly consider consenting to the creation of any independent Palestinian state at all.

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[waitingforwinterwinds]

A Clash of Kings - 34 JON IV (pages 459-468)

Jon's team makes it to the Fist of the First Men, and Ghost leads Jon to treasure.

The Reader almost reports a new follower as a Bot. (Follower remains on Thin Ice.)

-

The Old Bear was particular about his hot spiced wine. So much cinnamon and so much nutmeg and so much honey, not a drop more. Raisins and nuts and dried berries, but no lemon, that was the rankest of southron heresy - which was queer, since he always took lemon in his morning beer.

🍋=🥛 "but no lemon, that was the rankest of southron heresy" yeah? enjoy your scurvy... oh, I see, lemon is a breakfast food, nvm.

A torch had been thrust down into a crevice, its flames flying pale orange banners when the gusts came. He snatched it up as he squeezed through the gap between stones. Ghost went racing down the hill. Jon followed more slowly, the torch thrust out before him as he made his descent.

They need lanterns, torches don't actually last all that long and the naked flame can get blown out in the wind. They need those sturdy 'storm lanterns' I believe they're called with the oil soaked wick and the hard to break glass covers that have their own little crash cage, but with the back shield to catch the light on one side to bounce it back and so you don't blind yourself with it.

The Reader: *is a huge fan of lanterns in general* what? a light source bias? me? pssshhhh, nahhh.

"What have you found?" Jon lowered the torch, revealing a rounded mound of earth. A grave, he thought. But whose? ... The bundle turned, and its contents spilled out on the ground, glittering dark and bright. He saw a dozen knives, leaf-shaped spear heads, numerous arrowheads. Jon picked up a dagger blade, feather light and shiny black, hiltless. Torchlight ran along its edge, a thin orange line that spoke of razor sharpness. Dragonglass. What the maesters call obsidian. ... Beneath the dragonglass was an old warhorn, made from an aurochs horn and banded in bronze.

The Cache!!!! Dragonglass = 🥛

He let them fall, and pulled up a corner of the cloth the weapons had been wrapped in, rubbing it between his fingers. Good wool, thick, a double weave, damp but not rotted. It could not have been long in the ground. And it was dark. He seized a handful and pulled it close to the torch. Not dark. Black. Even before Jon stood and shook it out, he knew what he had: the black cloak of a Sworn Brother of the Night's Watch.

Bum-bum-buuuummmmm!!!!!!

Gimme a sec I need to look up 'double weave' cause my brain is saying 'does he mean twill?' which, hilarious if yes. Nope, not twill, double-cloth. The thing where they double the threads and shuttles involved, very thick and warm.

(Twill, by the way, is a fabric that goes over two under one in a stagger, (which is probably why my brain skipped there) and was made "popular" after being produced in a little place called Nîmes, in France back in the late 1800s. as an export it was called serge de nim or twill de nim (lit. twill of Nîmes), and yes, if that sounds familiar it is because today twills are sometimes called denim. the jeans fabric. My brain thought "black jean cloaks for the Night's Watch." basically. XD)

Realistically, twill aren't an out of place thing in fantasy worlds, because the strength of the fabric came from the cotton and stitch, neither of which are revolutionary young technologies, but if we did that... oh dragons and scandalous amounts of skin are fine, but women's rights and denim, where's the historical accuracy?

ANYWAY!

I like the imagery in this chapter, with Jon and the torch, the overall vibe of "you need to look, but things will be hard to see or find, the answers you need do not lie in safe places but out beyond them."

I also like that Mormont is asking Jon for his opinion and making him think about things, reason it out, because he did know the answer when he stopped to think. Subtle growth still counts!