Drink tea with "Kitul Jaggery"
Drink tea with "Kitul Jaggery"
The Kitul jaggery industry in Sri Lanka has a very long history. It is a good source of income for the people of Uva Province. There is a lot to talk about in this industry, which is now in a state of great decline. But if you are visiting Sri Lanka you should definitely try Kitul Jaggery. If you visit places like "Meegahakiula", "Bibila", "Rideemaliyadda", "Passara", "Welimada", "Kandaketiya" you will find those flavors.
This is a story from a certain folklore in Sri Lanka. At that time there was a man who supplied jaggery to the royal palace. The king also loves his "jaggery". But the king never went to the place where he made jaggery. One day the king brings the man who makes "jaggery" to him and asks him:
Your jaggery is very tasty. I love it. How do you make so much delicious jaggery?
Then he says, Your Majesty, when I make jaggery for you, I will cover the place with robes. Also a canopy is tied. The floor is carpeted. Also I prepare the utensils very cleanly. I also came clean and made jaggery for you. Obtained from the best Kitul trees Telijja is used. That's why my jaggery tastes so good.
The king is very pleased to hear this. So he is given a crop of gifts and sent back.
One day the king goes on a journey. Then the king sees the house of the maker of the jaggery and goes to that house. When the king goes there he is making jaggery. No screens. He was making "jaggery" in a dirty pot.
Also his clothes are dirty. When he sees the king, he is very afraid. He apologizes to the king. The king was disappointed to see that. "Everything was said to be good, but not so good," the king realized.That story "Kiyanakota ehemayi, Eath karanakota mehemayi" is still a saying among the Sinhalese people.
Kitul trees grow spontaneously in places with springs without anyone's help. In the past the villagers waited for the flowers of such a good kithul tree to come. Kitul Telijja is produced from that flower. It is not only "jaggery" that is obtained from the Kitul tree. There are many things like kithul flour, kithul honey and kithul toddy.
Also, the Kitul tree is a very valuable plant in Sinhala medicine. The bark of this tree is used for "snake medicine" and is a valuable remedy for its original "toothache". Farmers make an insecticide for worms in paddy fields from the seeds of the Kitul tree.
Kitul wood is also used to make furniture. They are a very strong type of wood and are also used to make roofs in houses.
Now this kithul industry is on the verge of extinction in Sri Lanka. There are many reasons for this.
* Strict government laws regarding kithul
* Cutting down trees for Kitul flour
* The new generation rejects this job
* There are many reasons such as the lack of consumer confidence due to the presence of substandard sugar blended products in the market.
Definitely go for a taste of Kitul Jaggery. Thank you.
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