Boalla. A type of carp well known in the Himalayas up as far as Sikkim and Assam where they grow to almost a meter in length. They come down the tributaries to spawn in the Mekong in July and August, when they are vulnerable to fisherman.
A bottle gourd or calabash cucumber which is pale green on the outside, creamy, yellowish-white inside and looks like a cucumber with a bulge at one end. Only the very young gourds are used for cooking. When older they are most commonly known as calabash and develop a hard, woody shell which may be used for making bowls and musical instruments.
Lovage seeds from a plant of the caraway family, used mainly in Indian cooking. The greenish-brown seeds are a little larger than celery seeds and have a strong aroma of rather coarse thyme. Oregano can be substituted.
