In a delicious feat, the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Department gained entry in the India Book of Records by dishing out a 10-metre-long puthareku, a traditional Andhra delicacy, on Thursday.
The wafer-thin delicacy, popular as ‘paper sweet’, is usually not longer than 5 to 8 inches. But the ultra-thin sheets (in Telugu, putha means coating and reku means sheet) were combined and wrapped with dexterity in a single unit in a laborious exercise. Stuffed with fillings of crisply fried dry fruits, the 10-metre-long puthareku placed on a long table was cynosure of all eyes at Berm Park, on the banks of river Krishna here.
The Tourism wing engaged three women and two men from Atreyapuram in East Godavari district, equipped with the expertise to make thin sheets with rice batter on the smooth surface of a pot overturned on a fire.
In Atreyapuram, puthareku-making is a cottage industry as members of every family in the village are engaged in churning out these edible films which then are exported to different parts of the country and also abroad.
Srilakshmi, Maheswari, Sesharatnam, Balasubramanyam and Naresh started their work at 9 a.m. and the exercise continued till 5 p.m. Post-lunch, the thin films were spread across the table and filled with powdered sugar and dry fruits before they were rolled carefully into one unit and garnished with a row of almonds and cashews on the top.
“This event is part of our efforts to popularise flavours of the Telugu land. We are trying to promote Andhra cuisine through cookery contests, food fairs and other such events. Puthareku is a unique delicacy with a distinct flavour. This exclusivity must reach food-lovers across the globe,” said Mukesh Kumar Meena, Secretary, Department of Tourism, Language and Culture.
CEO of Andhra Pradesh Tourism Authority (APTA) Himanshu Shukla said care was taken not to deviate from the traditional way of making the delicacy, as it would have defeated the very purpose of the event.