Srivilliputhur, a municipality in Tamil Nadu, is stirring the headlines because of its preparation process for Manda Vellam. For those who don’t know about Manda Vellam, it is jaggery (or gur), which is made from unrefined sugar. This is obtained by boiling raw, concentrated sugar cane juice till it solidifies. According to Local 18 Tamil, the Manda Vellam is obtained via traditional means. The jaggery is used in the preparation of Palkowa sweets. Palkowa is made by the combination of milk and sugar. Cardamom or saffron can also be used for accentuating the flavour of the sweet.
Sugar cane is selected, ground and put in a large vessel for boiling. There is no need to purchase firewood separately as the remaining sugar cane can be utilised to light the fire. After a few hours, the sugarcane juice turns into sugar syrup. Now, transfer it to another vessel and stir until its temperature decreases. When the mixture attains a moderate temperature, it should be shaped as a ball and converted to Manda Vellam.
No doubt, the whole process results in the production of the most delicious Manda Vellam. This process is gruesome for the workers, who have to prepare this amid scorching heat. Another cause of concern is hygiene, which is not maintained in any aspect of jaggery making. The workers are making this with bare hands and feet which can be the cause of infection in food. The manufacturers should take care of these points which will otherwise cause panic amongst the people who consume Manda Vellam.
Besides Manda Vellam, Achu Vellam and Pagu Vellam are some other sweeteners used for the preparation of sweets. In Tamil Nadu, based on the shape, jaggery is either called Achu vellam (square or cylindrical) or Manda Vellam (roughly round and larger in size). The powdered form is known as Nattu Sakkarai.
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