Central Travancore jaggery | |
---|---|
Geographical indication | |
Alternative names | CTJ |
Description | A jaggery (agri-product) made from fresh sugarcane juice in Kottayam and Pathanamthitta Districts and Chengannur taluk in Alappuzha District of Kerala |
Type | Jaggery |
Area | Central Travancore, Kerala |
Country | India |
Registered | 31 May 2010 |
Official website | ipindiaservices.gov.in |
The Central Travancore jaggery is a variety of jaggery (non-centrifugal cane sugar) made from fresh sugarcane juice in the Indian state of Kerala. [1] [2] It is an agri-product manufactured from sugarcane which is a common and widely cultivated crop in Kottayam and Pathanamthitta Districts and Chengannur taluk in Alappuzha District. [3] [4] The riverbanks and nearby places of Pamba, Manimala, Achenkovil and Meenachil rivers are primarily used for sugarcane cultivation in the region. [5] [6]
Central Travancore jaggery made from sugarcane is a prized crop in Central Travancore division and so named after the old Kingdom of Thiruvithamkoor or Kingdom of Travancore which comprises the current districts of Kottayam, Pathanamthitta and Alappuzha. [7] [8]
It is also known by its acronym as "CTJ". It is made into forms like 'Pathiyan Sarkara' - Pathiyan Sarkara is a semi-solid type of jaggery with a golden brown to brown color, good taste, and distinct flavor. The term "Pathiyan" signifies its malleable texture, while Sarkara means the crude form of sugar in the local state language of Malayalam.
Another form of handmade jaggery, called 'Unda Sarkara', is available in ball form, characterized by its hardness, ease of storage, and long shelf life, with a golden brown to brown color. "Unda" means ball in the local state language of Malayalam. [9]
Jaggery from this region is highly sought after due to its exceptionally sweet taste and lack of saltiness, unlike jaggery produced from sugarcane grown in alkaline soils elsewhere. [10]
This jaggery is made by crushing sugarcane in an electric crusher, then boiling the juice in copper, aluminum, or tin pans using sugarcane waste as fuel. The mixture is removed at different temperatures to create various forms, then cooled and shaped. While still hot, it's molded into balls called Unda, or poured into tins to create a semi-solid form called Pathiyan. [11]
Central Travancore jaggery, renowned for its golden brown color, higher sweetness, and organic properties, serves as the preferred base for preparing Ayurvedic medicines in Kerala. [12]
It was awarded the Geographical Indication (GI) status tag from the Geographical Indications Registry under the Union Government of India on 31/05/2010 (valid until 1/3/2029). [13]
The Director of Research, Kerala Agricultural University from Thissur, proposed the GI registration of Central Travancore jaggery. After filing the application in March 2009, the jaggery was granted the GI tag in 2010 by the Geographical Indication Registry in Chennai, making the name "Central Travancore jaggery" exclusive to the jaggery manufactured in the region. It thus became the first jaggery variety from Kerala along with whole of India and the 18th type of goods from Kerala to earn the GI tag. [14] [15]
Pathanamthitta District, is one of the 14 districts in the Indian state of Kerala. The district headquarters is in the town of Pathanamthitta. There are four municipalities in Pathanamthitta: Adoor, Pandalam, Pathanamthitta and Thiruvalla.
Kolhapur is a city on the banks of the Panchganga River in the southern part of the Indian state of Maharashtra.
Jaggery is a traditional non-centrifugal cane sugar consumed in the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, North America, Central America, Brazil and Africa. It is a concentrated product of cane juice and often date or palm sap without separation of the molasses and crystals, and can vary from golden brown to dark brown in colour. It contains up to 50% sucrose, up to 20% invert sugars, and up to 20% moisture, with the remainder made up of other insoluble matter, such as wood ash, proteins, and bagasse fibres. Jaggery is very similar to muscovado, an important sweetener in Portuguese, British and French cuisine. The Kenyan Sukari ngutu/nguru has no fibre; it is dark and is made from sugarcane and also sometimes extracted from palm tree.
Aranmula Kannadi, meaning the Aranmula mirror, is a handmade, metal-alloy, first surface mirror made in Aranmula, a small town in Pathanamthitta in the state of Kerala, India.
Kozhencherry is a census town in Pathanamthitta district of Central Travancore region in Kerala state, India. As of 2011 census, the population was 12,021 of which 5,594 are males while 6,427 are females.
Tilkut also known as tilkutam, gajak, tilpatti, is a sweet made in the Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand.
Alappuzha, formerly known as Alleppey, is a city and municipality in the Alappuzha district of Kerala, India. It is the district headquarters of the district, and is located about 130 km (80.8 mi) north of the state capital Thiruvananthapuram. As per the 2011 Indian census, Alappuzha has a population of 240,991 people, and a population density of 3,675/km2 (9,520/sq mi).
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The Indian state of Kerala borders with the states of Tamil Nadu on the south and east, Karnataka on the north and the Arabian Sea coastline on the west. The Western Ghats, bordering the eastern boundary of the State, form an almost continuous mountain wall, except near Palakkad where there is a natural mountain pass known as the Palakkad Gap.[1] When the independent India amalgamated small states together, Travancore and Cochin states were integrated to form Travancore-Cochin state on 1 July 1949. However, Malabar remained under the Madras province. The States Reorganisation Act of 1 November 1956 elevated Kerala to statehood.
Nariyapuram is a village in Vallicode Panchayat of Pathanamthitta district in Kerala, India. Nariyapuram is located in the northern part of Pathanamthitta. Pandalam, which is seven km away is the nearest town. The district headquarters Pathanamthitta is eight km away. There are regular bus services via Nariyapuram. Schools, hospitals, places of worship and all other necessities are also available. The population here is not too large. There are vast areas of paddy fields and most of the villagers are farmers. Borders of Nariyapuram are Thattayil along the south, Thumpamon along the west, Achankovil river along the north and Kaipattoor along the east. One of the existing sugarcane cultivation in Central Travancore is in Nariyapuram.
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The 'Kuttiattoor' mango or Kuttiattoor Manga, is a mango cultivar primarily grown in the village of Kuttiattoor, Kannur district of Kerala, India. 'Nambiar maanga', 'Kannapuram maanga', 'Kunjimangalam manga' and 'Vadakkumbhagam manga,' are the variations of the same name.
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The Kolhapur jaggery is a variety of jaggery made from fresh sugarcane juice in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is an agri-product manufactured from sugarcane which is a common and widely cultivated crop in Kolhapur. The waters of the streams forming the Panchganga river are primarily used for sugarcane cultivation in Kolhapur. It is also the most exported variety of jaggery from India.
The Marayoor jaggery is a variety of jaggery made from fresh sugarcane juice in the Indian state of Kerala. It is an agri-product manufactured from sugarcane which is a common and widely cultivated crop in Marayoor and Kanthalloor Grama panchayaths of Devikulam taluk, Idukki district grown particularly by the farmers of Muthuva tribe.
The Muzaffarnagar jaggery is a variety of jaggery made from fresh sugarcane juice in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is an agri-product manufactured from sugarcane which is a common and widely cultivated crop majorily in the districts of Muzaffarnagar and also in Bijnor, Shamli, Baghpat, Meerut and Shajahanpur. Muzaffarnagar hosts India's largest jaggery market, accounting for 20% of the country's total jaggery production. The city's jaggery is considered lucky by many and is a significant contributor to India's traditional sweetener production.