Jaynagarer Moa

Jaynagarer Moa is a seasonal sweetmeat from West Bengal, India, made from date palm jaggery known as nolen gur and kanakchur khoi, a popped rice made from a fragrant winter rice variety. Ghee made from cow's milk, cardamom and poppy seeds complete the traditional recipe. The sweet takes its name from Jaynagar Majilpur in the South 24 Parganas district, where two friends, Purna Chandra Ghosh and Nityagopal Sarkar, began selling it in local weekly markets in the 1920s, and where a shop founded in 1929 still operates. Because nolen gur and kanakchur rice are both winter products, the authentic moa is available only from about November to January. It is distinct from the ordinary moa, a small crisp ball of puffed rice (muri) and jaggery made in homes across Bengal. Jaynagarer Moa received a Geographical Indication tag in 2015, and makers elsewhere who use cheaper ingredients and artificial flavours have become a recurring concern.