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Shimmering turquoise waters of the atolls frame the Maldives where all the field crops are raised by natural rainfall during the south-west monsoon season. Water from underground water table lies near the surface; some islands have alluring ponds and small lakes.
True to their endeavour to protect the unspoiled ecological wonders, the Maldivian people use mainly organic fertilisers, usually to product of sea in this instance. Crop cultivation rotates and planting for the most part occurs during the south-west monsoon season.
Hot, mild, pungent, salty and sweet Maldivian dishes often have a vegetable base to enhance the taste. The soothing rains of the monsoons provide a fertile land for Finger millet and Italian fox millets. Sweet potatoes, and some in some parts of the south, cassava. Southern islands offer a taro crops with maize, sorghum and bajara grown on many islands as well. The land can provide onions cucumbers, cabbages and green beans for a mixed salad or a local salad of green, chopped spinach, onions and lime juice for added flavour and is an island favourite. Although rice is not cultivated in the Maldives, it forms an important part of meals and is often imported from neighbouring countries. In Male, bakeries produce fresh bread, cakes and pastries, satisfying the plate of the most demanding gourmet.
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