Kaji Nemu | |
---|---|
Geographical indication | |
Alternative names | Kazi Nemu, Kajinemu |
Type | Agricultural |
Area | Assam |
Country | India |
Registered | 10 May 2019 |
Material | Lemon |
Kaji Nemu is a special variety of Assam lemon grown in various parts of Assam. Kaji Nemu is the state fruit of Assam. [1] Kaji Nemu has some characteristics that set it apart from other lemons, particularly its distinct smell and relatively larger size. Kaji Nemu fruits do not fall off the tree for many days after ripening, and they usually bear fruit throughout the year. On 10 May 2019, Kaji Nemu received geographical indication tag. [2]
Kaji Nemu is a perennial thorny shrub. Its leaves are dark green in color and emit a fragrance when picked. The trees typically grow to a height of 2–3.5 m, with leaves measuring 7–10 cm in length and 3–5 cm in width. Kaji Nemu trees have a lifespan of about 20 to 25 years. They produce light purple flowers and yield 300 to 500 fruits when mature. Each fruit weighs about 60–100 grams, and the trees can yield 20 to 30 tonnes per hectare per year. The lemon's bark is thin, and ripe lemons are rich in juice. The fruit ranges in color from dark green to light green-yellow and is suitable for picking. Kaji Nemu are produced throughout the year, although production is lower from November to January. [3] [4] [5]
Major producing districts include Dibrugarh, Golaghat, Cachar, Chirang, Nalbari and Dima Hasao. [6]
Kaji Nemu thrives best in loamy soils with good drainage, avoiding water retention. A dry subtropical climate is ideal for lemon cultivation. Kaji Nemu is primarily propagated through cuttings, although seedlings can also be grown from seeds. To achieve higher yields, appropriate fertilizers and water management practices should be applied, while pesticides are recommended to protect against pests and diseases. [3]
Kaji Nemu exhibits several distinctive characteristics, including its larger size compared to other lemons, often resulting in seedless fruit or very few seeds. Other notable features include: [3]
Kaji Nemu holds a special significance in Assamese cuisine, where raw lemon slices are commonly served with rice and curries, allowing diners to season their meal as desired by squeezing the lemon slices. Moreover, lemons play a ceremonial role in weddings and are utilized in preparing tangy and sour dishes. Beyond culinary applications, Kaji Nemu possesses medicinal properties, making it a common ingredient in home remedies. Additionally, the fruit is utilized to extract essential oils for various purposes, further showcasing its versatility and importance in Assamese culture. It used for preparing refreshing drinks and pickles as well as garnishing curry and other dishes. [7]
On January 5, 2018, the CRS Na-Dihing Nemu Tenga Development Committee, in collaboration with Assam Agricultural University, submitted an application for geographical recognition of Kaji Nemu. On May 10, 2019, it was granted a Geographical indication tag, acknowledging its unique geographical origin and characteristics. [8] [9] In February 2024, Government of Assam named it as state fruit, highlighting the unique aroma and antioxidant properties of the indigenous lemon variety. [10]
In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering.
Kumquats, or cumquats in Australian English, are a group of small, angiosperm, fruit-bearing trees in the family Rutaceae. Their taxonomy is disputed. They were previously classified as forming the now-historical genus Fortunella or placed within Citrus, sensu lato. Different classifications have alternatively assigned them to anywhere from a single species, Citrus japonica, to numerous species representing each cultivar. Recent genomic analysis defines three pure species, Citrus hindsii, C. margarita and C. crassifolia, with C. × japonica being a hybrid of the last two.
Citrus is a genus of flowering trees and shrubs in the rue family, Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including crops such as oranges, mandarins, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and limes. The genus Citrus is native to South Asia, East Asia, Southeast Asia, Melanesia, and Australia. Various citrus species have been used and domesticated by indigenous cultures in these areas since ancient times. From there its cultivation spread into Micronesia and Polynesia by the Austronesian expansion ; and to the Middle East and the Mediterranean via the incense trade route, and onwards to Europe and the Americas.
Breadfruit is a species of flowering tree in the mulberry and jackfruit family (Moraceae) believed to be a domesticated descendant of Artocarpus camansi originating in New Guinea, the Maluku Islands, and the Philippines. It was initially spread to Oceania via the Austronesian expansion. It was further spread to other tropical regions of the world during the Colonial Era. British and French navigators introduced a few Polynesian seedless varieties to Caribbean islands during the late 18th century. Today it is grown in some 90 countries throughout South and Southeast Asia, the Pacific Ocean, the Caribbean, Central America and Africa. Its name is derived from the texture of the moderately ripe fruit when cooked, similar to freshly baked bread and having a potato-like flavor.
A mango is an edible stone fruit produced by the tropical tree Mangifera indica. It originated from the region between northwestern Myanmar, Bangladesh, and northeastern India. M. indica has been cultivated in South and Southeast Asia since ancient times resulting in two types of modern mango cultivars: the "Indian type" and the "Southeast Asian type". Other species in the genus Mangifera also produce edible fruits that are also called "mangoes", the majority of which are found in the Malesian ecoregion.
A clementine is a tangor, a citrus fruit hybrid between a willowleaf mandarin orange and a sweet orange, named in honor of Clément Rodier, a French missionary who first discovered and propagated the cultivar in Algeria. The exterior is a deep orange colour with a smooth, glossy appearance. Clementines can be separated into 7 to 14 segments. Similar to tangerines, they tend to be easy to peel. They are typically juicy and sweet, with less acid than oranges. Their oils, like other citrus fruits, contain mostly limonene as well as myrcene, linalool, α-pinene and many complex aromatics.
The persimmon is the edible fruit of a number of species of trees in the genus Diospyros. The most widely cultivated of these is the kaki persimmon, Diospyros kaki – Diospyros is in the family Ebenaceae, and a number of non-persimmon species of the genus are grown for ebony timber. In 2019, China produced 75% of the world total of persimmons.
The mandarin orange, also known as mandarin or mandarine, is a small, rounded citrus tree fruit. Treated as a distinct species of orange, it is usually eaten plain or in fruit salads. Tangerines are a group of orange-colored citrus fruit consisting of hybrids of mandarin orange with some pomelo contribution.
The Alphonso mango, also called the hapus mango, is a named mango cultivar that originated in India.
Persian lime, also known by other common names such as seedless lime, Bearss lime and Tahiti lime, is a citrus fruit species of hybrid origin, known only in cultivation. The Persian lime is a triploid cross between Key lime and lemon.
The tamarillo is a small tree or shrub in the flowering plant family Solanaceae. It is best known as the species that bears the tamarillo, an egg-shaped edible fruit. It is also known as the tree tomato, tomate de árbol, tomate andino, tomate serrano, blood fruit, poor man's tomatoe, tomate de yuca, tomate de españa, sachatomate, berenjena, chilto and tamamoro in South America, tyamtar, rambheda or rukh tamatar in Nepal, and terong Belanda in Indonesia. It is popular globally, especially in Peru, Colombia, New Zealand, Ecuador, Nepal, Rwanda, Burundi, Australia, and Bhutan.
Assamese cuisine is the cuisine of the Indian state of Assam. It is a style of cooking that is a confluence of cooking habits of the hills that favour fermentation and drying as forms of preservation and those from the plains that provide extremely wide variety of fresh vegetables and greens, and an abundance of fish and meat. Both are centred on the main ingredient — rice. It is a mixture of different indigenous styles with considerable regional variations and some external influences. The traditional way of cooking and the cuisine of Assam is very similar to South-East Asian countries such as Thailand, Burma (Myanmar) and others. The cuisine is characterized by very little use of spices, little cooking over fire, and strong flavours due mainly to the use of endemic exotic fruits and vegetables that are either fresh, dried or fermented. Fish is widely used, and birds like duck, pigeon, squab, etc. are very popular, which are often paired with a main vegetable or ingredient; beef used to be eaten before British colonialism, and some continue to do so. Preparations are rarely elaborate. The practice of bhuna, the gentle frying of spices before the addition of the main ingredients so common in Indian cooking, is absent in the cuisine of Assam. The preferred oil for cooking is the pungent mustard oil.
Cypriot cuisine is the cuisine of the island of Cyprus, shared by both Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots.
The Valencia orange is a sweet orange cultivar named after the famed oranges in València, Spain. It was first hybridized by pioneer American agronomist and land developer William Wolfskill in the mid-19th century on his farm in Santa Ana, southern California, United States, North America.
The Kinnow is a high yield mandarin hybrid cultivated extensively in the wider Punjab region of India and Pakistan.
The lemon is a species of small evergreen tree in the flowering plant family Rutaceae, native to Asia, primarily Northeast India (Assam), Northern Myanmar, and China.
Garcinia indica, a plant in the mangosteen family (Clusiaceae), commonly known as kokum, is a fruit-bearing tree that has culinary, pharmaceutical, and industrial uses. It grows primarily in India's Western Ghats: in the states of Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka and Kerala.
The Devanahalli pomelo is a variety of the citrus fruit pomelo of the family Rutaceae. It is exclusively grown in the region around Devanahalli taluk, Bangalore Rural District, India, as an exotic crop variety. Its officially designated name is "Devanahalli Pomello (Chakkota)"; it is locally known as chakkota.
The Assam lemon, also known as nemu tenga in Assamese, are cultivars of lemon, which are found and cultivated in the Indian state of Assam. The most popular of them are 'Kaji Nemu' and 'Gul Nemu'. "Kaji Nemu" has been declared as the State Fruit of Assam, by the Cabinet. The Agriculture Department of the Government of Assam has amplified its production, boosting its originality and uniqueness.These lemons are an important part of Assamese cuisine .These lemon are also famous for their significant smell.
Kanpei, also known as Ehime queen splash, is a Citrus cultivar that originated in Japan.