Jaynagarer Moa
Jaynagarer Moa (Bengali: জয়নগরের মোয়া) is a seasonal Bengali sweetmeat delicacy prepared from date palm jaggery and Kanakchur khoi. This variety of Moa originated in Jaynagar Majilpur of the South 24 Parganas district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is now a popular sweet, being produced in Kolkata and elsewhere, sometimes with cheaper ingredients and chemical flavours.[1] Jaynagarer Moa was given a Geographical Indication tag in 2015[2] [3] which will enable the product to be protected from unauthorized uses and piracy.[4]
| Jaynagarer Moa | |
|---|---|
| Geographical indication | |
 Jaynagarer Moa | |
| Alternative names | জয়নগরের মোয়া |
| Description | Confectionery of Bengal |
| Type | Foodstuff |
| Area | Jaynagar Majilpur, South 24 Parganas, West Bengal |
| Country |  India |
| Registered | 23 March 2015 |
| Material | Date Palm, Jaggery, Kanakchur Khoi, Gawa Ghee, Cardamom and Poppy Seed |
History
In 1920s two friends Purna Chandra Ghosh (aka Purna) and Nityagopal Sarkar (aka Buchki) started selling the Moa in local weekly markets and it came to be known as Buchki's Moa, which later came to be known as Joynagarer Moa. In 1929 Buchki and Nitya set up their own sweet shop named Sri Krishna Mistanna Bhandar in Jaynagar Majilpur Town, near Jaynagar Majilpur railway station. The shop is still in operation and is managed by the grand daughter of Purna Chandra Ghosh. [2]
Recipe
Jaynagarer Moa is made with Nolen Gur (jaggery made from date palm tree extract with exquisite taste and aroma), Kanakchur khoi (a form of popped rice made from a special variety of aromatic rice), Gawa ghee (a type of clarified butter made from cow's milk), elach (cardamom), and posto (poppy seed). Both Nolen Gur and Kanakchur rice are winter products (available around November to January) and hence Jaynagarer Moa is available during this period only.[1] The ordinary or common Moa is a small crispy ball made of puffed rice ("Muri" rather than "Khoi") and jaggery. It is produced in homes all over Bengal and is also generally available in grocery shops in small plastic packets, throughout the year.
There are over 250 sweetmeat shops around Jaynagar, which produce Jaynagarer Moa with the original ingredients. [5][6]
Challenges
The popularity of the dish has led in recent years to sweetmeat makers all over West Bengal, particularly Kolkata, producing large quantities of Jaynagarer Moa using cheaper ingredients flavoured with chemical aromatics and marketing them as Jaynagarer Moa.[5]
Date palm jaggery is becoming harder to come by due to the decrease in the number of date palms in West Bengal and the shift of members of the Shiuli community, traditional producers of "Nolen Gur" from date palm juice, to other professions. Similarly, Kanakchur rice is a local variant which grows only in winter and through traditional fertiliser-free techniques only.[5]
References
- Chakraborty, Monotosh (14 January 2013). "Don't go by flavour, it's not Jaynagarer Moa". The Times of India. The Times of India, 14 January 2013. Retrieved 15 February 2013.
- Datta, Rangan (14 January 2023). "From Joynagar to the world: The journey of Bengal's favourite 'moa'". No. My Kolkata. The Telegraph. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
- Dastidar, Rajlakshmi (26 February 2021). "This fragile sweet from Bengal is available only for a short period in the winter". Outlook Traveller. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
- "Special packaging for Jaynagarer Moa ?". The Times of India. 1 February 2016. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
- Mukherji, Udit Prasanna. "Jaynagarer Moa may be patented". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 27 February 2012. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
- "Application for registration of a geographical indication by Jaynagarer Moa Nirmankari Society" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
Further reading
- Dey, Shuvra (2 December 2020). "Joynagarer Moa-the brand that defines a town". GetBengal.com. Get Bengal. Retrieved 13 January 2023.