The Global Fight to Protect Culinary Roots

This brings us to Geographical Indication (GI) tags, which caught my consideration when Odisha utilized for a GI certificates for rosogolla. GI status identifies a product as originating from a specific location and ensures its authenticity and distinctiveness. Odisha claims that the rosogolla was created inside its borders as an providing—the khiramohana—to Lord Jagannath. Bengal begs to vary. In 2019, the ‘Odisha Rasagola’ was given a GI tag, however Bengal may relaxation simple, because the softer, spongy white rasgulla of the state had already acquired a separate GI tag in 2017.

Now, the rasgulla isn’t the one delicacy to have acquired a GI tag. In reality, the latest years have seen a slew of such recognitions. In 2022 and 2023, the Mithila Makhana (Bihar), Tandur Purple Gram (Telangana), Raktsey Karpo Apricot (Ladakh), Alibag White Onion (Maharashtra), and Mancurad Mango (Goa) all acquired GI tags.

A few of the different well-known GI-tagged Indian meals embrace Darjeeling Tea (West Bengal), Kashmir Saffron (Jammu & Kashmir), Naga King Chilli (Nagaland), Bikaneri Bhujia (Rajasthan), Tirupati Laddu (Andhra Pradesh), Dharwad Peda (Karnataka), Goan Bebinca (Goa), Alphonso Mango (Maharashtra), Basmati Rice (Northern areas), the scrumptious Manipuri Black Rice (Manipur), the just about Halloumi-like Kaladi Cheese (Jammu), and Odisha’s Magji Laddoo.

It’s the gur or liquid jaggery that lends the sandesh its biscuit color and caramelly sweetness. (Photograph: Wikimedia Commons)

Final yr noticed just a few different Indian sweets obtain the GI tag. And it’s no shock that 4 of the 5 are from West Bengal–with its excellent mixture of chhena (do-it-yourself mushy paneer) and jaggery.

First on the listing is Nolen Gur-er Sandesh, made with contemporary chhena and cooked over a low flame with liquid date palm jaggery (nolen gur) harvested from date palms round Bardhaman, West Bengal. It’s the gur or liquid jaggery that lends the sandesh its biscuit color and caramelly sweetness.

The opposite candy to make the lower was the Murshidabad Chhanabora, once more from West Bengal. Recent chhena is formed into small roundels, calmly fried, and soaked in sugar syrup. With a barely chewy centre and a caramelised outer layer, this candy is usually flavoured with cardamom or rose water, as a reminder of Mughal influences in Bengal’s culinary historical past.

The Bishnupur Motichoor Laddoo, from the temple city of Bishnupur in Bankura district, additionally identified for its lovely terracotta horses, is made with tiny motichoor pearls made out of piyal (Indian almond tree) seed flour as a substitute of gram flour. These tiny little pearls are deep-fried in ghee, then flavoured with freshly floor cardamom, and eventually rolled by hand into mushy laddoos. These laddoos could be traced again to the Malla dynasty, which dominated Bengal for over a 1,000 years.

The Kamarpukur Sada Bonde originates within the village of Kamarpukur. I’ve by no means seen them or tasted them, however they do sound scrumptious. These pale, ethereal, deep-fried candy batter balls are made out of a calmly flavoured wheat-flour batter. They’re deep-fried until crisp on the skin and mushy inside, after which calmly soaked in sugar syrup. These are barely bigger than the boondi pearls and are eaten as particular person sweets.

The one non-Bengal winner of the GI crown on this set is Kavindapadi Nattu Sakkarai from Tamil Nadu, a standard jaggery made out of contemporary sugarcane juice, slow-boiled over a wooden hearth. This jaggery is thought for its mineral content material, resembling iron, magnesium, potassium, and calcium. It’s marked by its deep golden color and caramel aroma and has been ready by native farmers in Kavindapadi for generations.

The lesson in all of that is that heritage and native know-how are what qualify an ingredient to be referred to as by a sure title. You’ll be able to’t simply take Nolen Gur from Bengal and declare that it’s Kavindapadi Nattu Sakkarai simply because it’s liquid jaggery. Simply because it tastes like Parmesan and smells like Parmesan doesn’t make it Parmesan.

When Shakespeare wrote “What’s in a reputation? A rose by some other title continues to be a rose,” he didn’t learn about GI tags and the significance of figuring out delicacies appropriately. Subsequent time somebody arms you a brown rasgulla and says it’s an Odisha Rasgulla, don’t really feel dangerous about asking about its precise antecedents.

Subsequent week, I’ll write on one among my favorite cuisines and all of the delicacies — a few of that are staples for Chinese language meals lovers in India — which might be ready for Chinese language New Yr.