Time to munch Ganjam’s ‘muan’
BERHAMPUR: Thanks to the Indian topography and its diverse culture, the cuisine changes as you move from one State to the other. Be it due to the influence of local climate or availability of spices, herbs and vegetables, the variations in the style of cooking and tastes are inevitable. Coming to Odisha, the platter changes with each district.
Interestingly, each of the 30 districts in this coastal State boasts of its unique and much-sought-after recipe, for sure! For instance, if Cuttack takes pride in its Aludum dahi bara, Baripada promises to offer the best mudhi (puffed rice) in the world. Similarly, the crisp ball made of puffed rice and jaggery, popularly known as ‘muan,’ is quintessential to Ganjam’s list of delicacies.
Not just that, ‘muan’ holds a special significance in the Odia month of Pausa. In the Odia households, ‘muan’ is a must-have for the season. It’s auspicious to prepare ‘muan’ between ‘Dhanu Sankranti’ and ‘Makar Sankranti’.
“Unlike previous days, the season for ‘muan’ has been extended. However, it is available in lots during December and January,” said Udayanath Sahu, who had been preparing and selling ‘muan’ for some decades now. Though much is unknown about its origin, historians believe this dessert was prepared in Ganajm district for ritualistic offering to the deity on Dhanu Sankranti.
The age-old sweet has gone through a bit of change in the modern times. Local vendors said they now use sugar instead of jaggery for making ‘muan.’ Moreover, ghee has replaced oil in its preparation. Some sweet shops add a little twist to the traditional sweet for the sake of innovation.They try making it more delicious and attractive by adding coconut chunks, cherries and cashew nuts.
Besides local consumption, ‘muan’ is exported to various places across the country. During peak season, at least one tonne ‘muan’ is prepared across the district in a day. Sweet sellers in the district said price of ‘muan’ had increased along with its variety. “While the price of an ordinary muan with groundnut is between `180 and `200, the muan prepared with desi ghee, cherry and cashewnut costs up to `380,” said Budha, a sweet trader here.
“The price of sugar as well as of ghee has increased. Besides, cost of cashewnuts, another major ingredient of this special seasonal sweet, has also gone up. However, we are still trying to produce better quality ‘muan’ by compromising with our profit margins,” said Samarendra Dash, another seller.