By Sushmita Sengupta
Joynagarer moa, a sweet delicacy prepared from date palm jaggery, cow ghee, poppy seeds and Kanakchur khoi holds a special place in Bengali winter
This variety of Moa originated in Jaynagar of the South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal was awarded a Geographical Indication (GI) Tag in 2015.
Kanakchur, is an aromatic rice cultivar from West Bengal, India. This has slender grain and sweet aroma. The popped rice prepared from Kanakchur retains the aroma and makes for a delish addition to the ladoo.
Created by Jaminiburo, a resident of Bahru village, near Jaynagar town. It is said that one day, at an event, he prepared and served Moa made with his own farm-grown Kanakchur Khoi and Nolen Gur.
The Moa impressed everyone event. In 1929 Purna Chandra Ghosh aka Buchkibabu and Nityagopal Sarkar set up their Moa manufacturing factory, taking the popularity of the Moa to new heights.
Not only is it a seasonal delicacy (Nolen Gur or Date Palm Jaggery is available only during colder months), this moa uses a special variety of rice or Khoi. Most Moas are made with regular puffed rice (Muri)