Due to their distinctive morphological and geographic traits, two new products from Tamil Nadu — the Vellore Spiny Brinjal and Ramanathapuram Mundu Chillies — have been awarded the prestigious Geographical Indications (GI) label.
With this, there are now 45 items from Tamil Nadu that have received GI recognition, moving the state up to the second place. The state of Karnataka has the most GI tags, at 46. Kerala, with 36 GI items, is in third place.
Vellore Spiny Brinjal
The Vellore Spiny Brinjal or Elavambadi Mullu Kathirikai in Tamil, is an unusual, thorny native variety that is grown in a particular region. The vegetable is oval in shape and has a dorsal end that is tinged with green and a lustrous shade of pink and violet.
A single spiny brinjal weighs about 40 grams on average and has a shelf life of three days at room temperature and about a week in a refrigerator. 2 per cent Protein and 10.5mg per 100g Vitamin C levels in Spiny Brinjals, which are high. It is regarded as being tastier than other brinjal types and needs specialized farming or cultivation methods to yield a decent crop.
It possesses a special ability to fend off insect and disease threats. Except for the fruit, every component of the brinjal plant has thorns, which gives the harvest its characteristic and identifiable appearance. It is a cluster-bearing type with soft, meaty fruit that matures in about five months and yields 45-50 tonnes per acre.
It is ideal to bake, grill, fry, roast, steam, or even pickle the Vellore Spiny Brinjal. Together with Briyani, brinjal serwa, sambar, side dish and snacks, could be a mouth-watering dishes. It has a special connection to the agro-climatic conditions in the Vellore region and a great endurance for heat and drought.
Moreover, late Chief Minister Karunanidhi prominently noted and described the Vellore brinjal when inaugurating the Vellore Farmers’ Market several years ago. The spiny brinjal has been grown at Elavambadi, Echangadu, Poikai Putur, and more than ten neighboring villages in the Anaikattu taluk of the Vellore district for more than ten generations.
Meanwhile, the brinjal cultivated here is distributed to Solingar, Seiyaru, Tiruvannamalai, and Arani from the Vellore Integrated Vegetable Market. Additionally, according to the dealers, Elavambadi eggplants are also being exported and sold in Chennai. The arrival of the GI tag, which the farmers had long demanded for the Elavambai Spiny Brinjal, has made the Tamil Nadu farmers ecstatic.
Ramnad Mundu Chillies
As far as Ramnad Mundu Chillies concerned, Mundu, which translates to round and fat in Tamil, is a member of the Capiscumannum genus. It is a round-shaped chilli that is used as a food coloring and is widely utilized in South Indian cuisine. It is a directly seeded, rain-fed crop with a dark lustrous, and thick skin.
Moreover, it has a great tolerance for salinity and drought. Farmers use the seeds from their previous crop for the following season, making it a minimal input crop. Commonly, Mundu Chillies are primarily grown in the Ramanathapuram district’s Tiruvadanai, Mudukulathur, Kadaladi, RS Mangalam and Kamuthi taluks.
Farmers typically harvest ripe fruit, which is then dried on elevated cement platforms for higher yields. At least four pickings are produced by a crop. Apparently, these Mundu Chillies are transported to countries like Thailand, Japan, US, Sri Lanka, and Europe.
The Chillies has been continuously grown in Ramanathapuram region for more than two centuries and is renowned for its flavorful aroma.
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