Udangudi ‘Panangkarupatti’ (palm jaggery/ gur) has been given a Geographical Indication (GI) tag. The application for this was filed by Tirunelveli District Palmyrah Products Cooperative Federation Limited and Patent Information Centre, Tamil Nadu State Council for Science and Technology.
The palm jaggery preparation procedure in this area is traditional till date without inclusion of any additional modern strategies. Triple super phosphate and phosphoric acid are used in many other areas, but no such chemical additives are used in Udangudi Panangkarupatti.
The karupatti prepared from the palm sap from the region around Udangudi in Tiruchendur taluk in Thoothukudi district has some uniqueness. This is due to presence of red sand dune soil found in the region.
This soil holds less groundwater. The moisture content in the atmosphere is less because of the dry climatic condition, which leads to high sucrose content, in turn adding taste. The region’s dry climate is also suitable for storage of karupatti for a longer duration.
Details in the GI filing mentioned that Udangudi jaggery was even exported to foreign countries, including Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Singapore. Moreover, Madurai and Tirunelveli had more than 500 wholesale dealers for Udangudi jaggery.
Method of production
The sap (padhaneer) is collected drop by drop into small earthen pots tied to the stalk. It is collected only from March- April to June-July. The collected padhaneer is then boiled in large vessels. It remains in solid state during summer and semi-solid state during rainy season. Many store it in containers and use it for months together. It is added to food items as sweetener.
Castor seeds are powdered and sprinkled gently on the jaggery as an antifoaming agent. Then the scum is removed. When the temperature reaches 105℃ to 107℃, it starts becoming thick and the colour changes to golden brown. When the juice becomes thick, it is collected with a scrapper and then poured into coconut shells (to obtain hemispherical shape) for solidification. Within 15 minutes it gets solidified and turns into a hard, coarse sugar, also called ‘Karuppukatti’.
