Everyone knows about the cashew nuts of Goa. But now the state is gearing up for a new signature product! Any guesses? It is Mace Candy!
What is Mace candy? Nutmeg is made from a fruit. That fruit’s rind is called javitri and the kernel is jaiphal (nutmeg). Nutmeg is commonly used, but the rind gets thrown out by farmers even though it is 70% of the fruit. The ICAR-Central Coastal Agricultural Research Institute created a process to make candy out of this rind in 2017.
Candy preparation has already started in Curchorem and Pale-Kothambi, Goa. The two centres are totally run by local women to help them earn and protect the state’s biodiversity. This sweet treat will soon be available in retail locations under the brand ‘GoVan’. This brand was made by Goa under the Goa State Biodiversity Board (GSBB). Its core purpose is to produce products made from local natural ingredients.
The mace candy can be mixed with other dry fruits or be used in Christmas cakes. It was developed with the intention of helping those involved in producing nutmeg to get more income.
For us at Planet-Goa, our team is driven by that feeling of exhilaration that one gets when discovering that something ‘unique’ and ‘new’ about Goa for our ever-so-discerning readers.
