Traditional Delicacies as Next Makhana Moment

Why in News ?

Cultural Visibility → Market Opportunity

• National spotlight on Chhattisgarh’s thethri and khurmi during a student interaction with the Prime Minister signals how cultural visibility can trigger market demand, branding, and value-chain development for regional foods.

Basics & Core Keywords

Traditional Delicacies

• Region-specific foods using local ingredients and customary methods; they encode ecological knowledge, seasonality, and community practices, forming part of intangible cultural heritage and local identity.

“Makhana Moment”

• Makhana (fox nuts) evolved from a local snack to a national superfood through branding, GI support, and organised value chains; similar pathway can scale other regional foods.

Value Addition

• Value addition involves processing, branding, packaging, and quality certification that increase product price and farmer/producer income beyond raw commodity sales.

Case Focus: Thethri

• Made from besan (gram flour) and spices, deep-fried for low moisture and longer shelf life, enabling storage, transport, and small-scale commercialisation across regional markets.

Cultural Embedment

• Linked to Diwali and harvest festivities, thethri carries ritual value, aiding storytelling-based branding and festival-driven demand spikes.

Case Focus: Khurmi

• Prepared from jaggery, wheat flour, and semolina; jaggery adds iron and minerals, positioning khurmi as a traditional, less-refined sweet alternative to processed confectionery.

Rural Suitability

• Simple ingredients and techniques allow SHGs and home enterprises to produce at scale with low capital, supporting decentralised rural industries.

Economic Angle: From Snack to Sector

Rural Livelihoods

• Scaling traditional snacks through SHGs/FPOs can generate non-farm rural income, especially for women; India has 80+ lakh SHGs linked to livelihoods missions.

Domestic Market Potential

• India’s packaged snacks market exceeds $15–20 billion, growing with urban demand for ethnic and healthier options; regional products can capture niche segments.

Export Possibility

• Ethnic foods ride diaspora demand; processed food exports from India cross $40 billion annually, indicating room for branded traditional snacks.

“Next Makhana” Pathway

GI & Branding

• GI tagging and state branding (like Bihar makhana) can signal authenticity, prevent imitation, and command price premiums for thethri/khurmi.

Processing & Standards

• FSSAI-compliant units, standardised recipes, and hygienic packaging extend shelf life and enable retail/e-commerce entry.

Cluster Development

• ODOP (One District One Product) and PMFME schemes can build clusters for traditional foods, linking credit, training, and marketing.

Nutrition & Sustainability

Clean-Label Advantage

• Traditional snacks use short ingredient lists (besan, jaggery, grains), aligning with clean-label trends and reduced ultra-processed consumption.

Local Sourcing

• Using local grains/pulses reduces transport emissions and supports circular local economies.

Governance & Policy Linkages

Scheme Convergence

• Converge PMFME, NRLM, ODOP, and GI promotion for end-to-end support from production to branding.

Tourism Link

• Culinary trails and state festivals can anchor food tourism, boosting regional economies.

Challenges

Quality Consistency

• Variability in taste and hygiene can limit scale; requires training and SOPs.

Commercial Dilution

• Over-sweetening, additives, or ingredient substitution may erode authenticity and nutrition.

Market Access

• Small producers face logistics and retail entry barriers without aggregator platforms.

Way Forward

Brand-Build-Scale

• Create state-backed brands, storytelling labels, and influencer marketing to build recognition.

Digital Commerce

• Use ONDC and e-commerce for pan-India reach with small-batch producers.

Capacity Building

• Train SHGs in food safety, packaging, and financial literacy for sustainable scaling.

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