Palm nectar now available in bottled form in Chennai organic stores
Pungent, sweet, earthy, and nutty all at once, padaneer is best had before noon off large pots attached to nungu sellers. They serve the drink in cradle-like baskets made of palm leaves, sometimes mixed with translucent chunks of the jelly-like nungu. Now that summer is here and palm nectar is in season, Pulicat-based non-profit Art & Architecture Research Development & Education (AARDE) Foundation has launched bottled padaneer.
This is the first time in Tamil Nadu that bottled palm nectar has been certified by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). Xavier Benedict, founder-trustee of AARDE, says that the product is the result of two years of research. 'We also referred to work by the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University to arrive at the process,' he says.
To bottle padaneer, Xavier explains, the drink simply has to be heated the same way milk is during pasteurisation. 'Once this is done, the nectar has a shelf life of four months, and 12 months if refrigerated,' he explains.
The process of tapping palm trees for padaneer can be traced back to 1,000 years. 'Historically, sunnambu [slaked lime] is applied to clay pots for collecting padaneer,' says Xavier, adding that they filter out the lime. 'The resulting nectar tastes fresh, and we store them in brown glass bottles to prevent the entry of UV rays,' he says.
If their product becomes commercially successful, Xavier feels a lot of farmers in Tamil Nadu can benefit from the idea. 'At present, our team of seven climbers from Pulicat procures 200 litres of padaneer per day from 90 to 120 trees in Tiruvallur district's Ponneri taluk,' he says. 'Once we invest in more heating machines, we can even touch 1,000 litres a day.'
The bottling is being done by women from a self-help group in Pulicat and Xavier has worked on a strategy for the nectar to be available through the year. 'We have identified districts with palm trees in season in the upcoming months,' he says. 'In Pulicat, for instance, the season is from February to July, while in Vembar, it is from July to October.' The idea is to offer additional income to the people of Pulicat, whose women also weave colourful palm-leaf boxes.
Palm nectar has several nutritional benefits, and Xavier says that with Government support, farmers and consumers alike can benefit from it. 'It will be great if the Government announces padaneer as a health drink,' he says.
Bottled padaneer is available at Chennai Organics, Chromepet; and Amudhu Organics, KK Nagar. A 330ml bottle is priced at ₹120. For details, call 9043542174.
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