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Indigenous foods and locally grown produce in India have seen tremendous popularity in recent times, and perhaps Geographical Indication (GI) tags have a huge role to play in that. Following the trend, Vellore spiny brinjal and Ramanathapuram mundu chillies were recently granted the prestigious GI tag for their unique physical and geographical characteristics. The mandatory four-month notice period for the projects ended on February 21, and they are now deemed to have been registered as GI products.
The two products have moved Tamil Nadu into the number two spot, as now the state has a total of 45 products that have earned GI recognition. Karnataka, on the other hand, has the most GI tags, with 46. For the uninitiated, the GI tag is awarded to products with a specific origin and those that possess properties due to the place where they were originally grown. The list of GI tags has a number of foods across India, such as Darjeeling tea, Bikaneri bhujia, Karnataka's Mysore pak, or even the famous Nagpur orange.
Vellore spiny brinjal, known as Elavambadi mullu kathirikai in Tamil, is a rare thorny breed of vegetable grown in Vellore. With a rich protein and vitamin C content, spiny brinjal is known to have a unique power to resist pest and disease attacks. It is also considered tastier than other brinjal varieties. The thorns present in all parts of the brinjal plant, except the fruit, make the crop highly distinctive and recognizable. The GI Tag for the brinjal was conferred keeping in mind the historical data, including village land records like 'Adangal’ which have entries of farmers involved in cultivation of the vegetable for centuries.
If you are wondering how the spiny brinjal can be cooked, it can be baked, barbecued, fried, roasted, steamed, or even pickled. In fact, it can also pair well with your favourite biriyani, sambar, brinjal, serwa, poriyal, and evening snacks.
Ramanathapuram mundu chillies, on the other hand, are round-shaped chillies popular in South Indian cuisine and used for their aromatic and tasteful properties as well as as a food color. Grown mainly in Tiruvadanai, RS Mangalam, Mudukulathur, Kadaladi, and Kamuthi taluks of Ramanathapuram, this chilli has a continuous recorded history of cultivation in the district for more than 200 years and is extremely popular for its rich taste and aroma. Mundu in Tamil means 'fat and round,' and the chilly belongs to the Capiscumannum species.
