Kuttiattoor Mango

Mangifera 'Kuttiattoor'
GenusMangifera
SpeciesMangifera indica
Cultivar'Kuttiattoor'
OriginIndia

The 'Kuttiattoor' mango or Kuttiattoor Manga, is a mango cultivar primarily grown in the village of Kuttiattoor, Kannur district of Kerala, India.[1] 'Nambiar maanga', 'Kannapuram maanga', 'Kunjimangalam manga' and 'Vadakkumbhagam manga,' are the variations of the same name.

Name

The Kuttiattoor mango goes by two names: Nambiar mango for insiders and Kuttiattoor mango for outsiders, reflecting the area's deep connection to the once used to be landlord Nambiar families still having a sizeable population.[2][3]

Mythology

Local villagers cite the tale of a Kuttiattoor Nambiar who served the royal family of Nileshwaram in Kasaragod. The King gifted him a mango sapling, which he planted in his village, yielding delicious fruit. Villagers propagated the tree's seedlings, adopting the name "Nambiar mango".[4]

Description

Its orange-yellow color and superior taste, makes the Kuttiattoor mango a favorite. Its ripened skin remains speckle-free, enhancing its visual appeal.[5] The mango variety is fleshy and juicy with high fiber content. Notably, local vendors ripen the mangoes without using chemicals or preservatives, instead relying on traditional methods using hay and leaves of the Strychnos nux-vomica (Kaanjiram) tree.[citation needed]

Trivia

An surprising development has driven up the cost of Kuttiattoor mango leaves, exceeding that of the fruit, following a Kasaragod-based company's move to harness their natural properties for tooth powder production.[6]

Geographical indication

It was awarded the Geographical Indication (GI) status tag from the Geographical Indications Registry under the Union Government of India on 14 September 2021 (valid until 3 September 2029).[7]

Kuttiattoor Mango Producer Company Limited from Kuttiattoor village proposed the GI registration of the Kuttiattoor mango. After filing the application in 2020, the fruit was granted the GI tag in 2021 by the Geographical Indication Registry in Chennai, making the name "Kuttiattoor" exclusive to the mangoes grown in the region. It thus became the first mango variety from Kerala to earn the GI tag.[8][9]

See also

References

  1. ^ Nagarajan, Saraswathy (2 June 2022). "The sweet taste of brand Kuttiattoor". The Hindu. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  2. ^ "Will a mango by any other name taste as sweet?". BusinessLine. 15 July 2015. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  3. ^ John, Haritha (7 July 2015). "The curious fight over "upper-caste" mangoes in a Kerala village". The News Minute. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  4. ^ Minute, The News (7 July 2015). "Fight in Kerala Village Over 'Caste' Mangoes". TheQuint. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  5. ^ "GI tag for Kerala's Kuttiattoor mango & Edayur chilli". The Times of India. 10 October 2021. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  6. ^ "Kuttiattoor mangoes: Fruits with a royal lineage, ripened with hay and 'kaanjiram' leaves". Onmanorama. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  7. ^ Sen, Piyali (2 June 2023). "10 Indian Mangoes With GI Tags". Outlook Traveller. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  8. ^ "This Kerala Mango Variety First From The State To Get GI Tag". News18. 31 May 2024. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  9. ^ "Geographical Indications Intellectual Property India". Official website of Intellectual Property India. Retrieved 6 October 2024.