Sweets are definitely available on all occasions like marriage, puja, festivals etc. Every region of the country has its own unique sweets. At some places, such sweets are made that make that region famous. One such sweet is the Kalakand sweet of Koderma. The history of Kalakand of Jhumri Tilaiya of Koderma is before independence. Kesariya Kalakand here has a distinct identity since the British era. Kalakand here was the first choice of British officers.
Both Kesariya Kalakand and Plain Kalakand of Jhumri Tilaiya are very famous and there is a lot of demand for them. Bhatia brothers first started making Kalakand at Jhanda Chowk in Jhumri Tilaiya about 65-70 years ago. Karn Singh Bhatia and his sons Hansraj Bhatia and Mulk Raj Bhatia, who came to Jhumri Tilaiya from Punjab, did not know then that one day Koderma Kalakand would become so famous. However, Bhatia Mishthan Bhandar, which opened in 1955-56, closed down in the 80s and the people associated with it went into different businesses.
During Bhatia’s time, seeing the demand for Kalakand, some other people started making Kalakand. Now the Kalakands made here have become the identity of the city. These Kalakands are in demand not only in the country but also abroad. People living abroad buy Kalakand from here.
People who eat Kalakand here say that the sweetness and taste of Kalakand is not found anywhere else. The sweetness in Kalakand here is less and it is tasty. Due to less sweetness, it does not harm the body.
The environment of Koderma makes it special
The water of Koderma, the local milk and the environment here make the Kalakand delicious. Actually, crystals are easily formed in the chenna made after curdling the hot milk due to the milk, water and environment here, which makes the Kalakand grainy and delicious. It is garnished with saffron, pistachio and almonds.
Artisans did not get success in other districts
The artisans here went to other districts and tried to make similar Kalakand but could not make tasty and granular Kalakand due to the difference in the environment and water. The best Kalakand is made from the milk available locally. Grainy and tasty Kalakand cannot be made from packaged and dairy milk.
Some other types of Kalakand are also available
Usually two types of Kalakand are made here, saffron and plain, but in some shops five varieties of Kalakand are also made. These include white Kalakand, saffron, jaggery Kalakand, sugar free and chocolate Kalakand. Saffron Kalakand is yellow in colour and is sold the most. Its demand increases a lot during festivals.
price
It takes 6 to 7 liters of milk to make one kilo of Kalakand. Its price is 450 to 550 rupees per kilo. Kalakand can be stored for 2 to 3 days and in cold weather it remains good for up to a week. People here not only eat Kalakand themselves but also distribute it to their acquaintances on occasions like Diwali, birthdays etc. Even the people who are gifted Kalakand demand more of this sweet.
Work is being done on giving GI tag
Looking at the demand and specialty of Kesariya Kalakand, there has been a talk of giving it GI (Geographical Indication) tag for a long time. With GI tagging, Koderma Kalakand will be declared as a brand. After this, people from India and abroad will be able to enjoy its taste easily. To meet the criteria of GI tagging, research is going on on topics like the specialty of Kesariya Kalakand and why the Kalakand made in Koderma is so tasty.
What is GI tag
The product which gets the GI tag becomes the identity of a certain region. GI means geographical indication. The general meaning of GI tag is where a product is found or where it is made. Only those products which have special characteristics in their region are given the GI tag.
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FIRST PUBLISHED : August 7, 2024, 19:26 IST