Kovilpatti Kadalai Mittai

Well known candy, ‘kovilpatti kadalai mittai’, produced in the Kovilpatti region of Tamil Nadu, was recently given the GI tag.

About the Candy

Kovilpatti kadalai mittai is a candy made of groundnuts, jaggery and dyed coconut wisps. It is manufactured in Kovilpatti region in Thoothukudi district of Tamil Nadu. The traditional candy is prepared during village festivals. The GI tag recognition of the candy will help take the product to an international market.

Preparation

Kovilpatti kadalai mittai is made from locally cultivated groundnuts (grown in black soil). These are shelled and roasted before combining with syrup made of a traditional type of jaggery called vellam. It is then topped with coconut wisps that are dyed pink, green and yellow. These are sold as rectangular or cuboid chunks.

GI Tagging

GI tagging was introduced to protect products that are unique to a region in India, through registration. GI tagging was introduced by the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999. It is administered by the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks (Registrar of Geographical Indications).