| Jaynagarer Moa | |
|---|---|
| Geographical indication | |
 Jaynagarer Moa | |
| Alternative names | জয়নগরের মোয়া |
| Description | Confectionery ofBengal |
| Type | Foodstuff |
| Area | Jaynagar Majilpur,South 24 Parganas,West Bengal |
| Country |  India |
| Registered | 23 March 2015; 10 years ago (2015-03-23) |
| Material | Date Palm,Jaggery,Kanakchur Khoi,Gawa Ghee,Cardamom andPoppy Seed |
Jaynagarer Moa (Bengali:জয়নগরের মোয়া) is a seasonalBengali sweetmeat delicacy prepared fromdate palmjaggery andKanakchur khoi. This variety of Moa originated inJaynagar Majilpur of theSouth 24 Parganas district in theIndianstate ofWest Bengal. It is now a popular sweet, being produced inKolkata and elsewhere, sometimes with cheaper ingredients and chemical flavours.[1] Jaynagarer Moa was given aGeographical Indication tag in 2015[2][3] which will enable the product to be protected from unauthorized uses and piracy.[4]
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 Purna set up their own sweet shop named Sri Krishna Mistanna Bhandar inJaynagar Majilpur Town, nearJaynagar Majilpur railway station. The shop is still in operation and is managed by the granddaughter of Ghosh.[2]
Jaynagarer Moa is made withNolen Gur (jaggery made fromdate 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 ofclarified butter made from cow's milk),elach (cardamom), andposto (poppy seed). BothNolen 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 overBengal 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]
The popularity of the dish has led in recent years to sweetmeat makers all overWest Bengal, particularlyKolkata, producing large quantities of Jaynagarer Moa using cheaper ingredients flavoured with chemical aromatics and marketing them as Jaynagarer Moa.[5]
Since 2013, date palm jaggery became 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.[1] Similarly, Kanakchur rice is a local variant which grows only in winter and through traditional fertiliser-free techniques only.[5]
