Bhubaneswar, Aug. 3: Odisha's staple food- mudhi has been chosen among 12 traditional dishes of different states that would be launched globally. The Odia snack will be launched worldwide under the 'Make in India' flagship programme of the government of India.
As part of the project, there will be standardisation, mass production and marketing of these traditional Indian dishes that are always in high demand across the country as well as in many countries abroad.
The project would be launched under the purview of the National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship & Management. Ajit Kumar, the vice-chancellor of the institute, said the project is targeted at making India the 'food factory of the world.'
"India is known for its traditional foods, which are mostly confined to the unorganised sector at present. The need of the hour is to capture the whole world's food market through uniform and hygienic mass production of few trademark dishes of the country," said Kumar.
Mudhi is touted to have originated from Baripada in Mayurbhanj district.
The tribal dish mushi mansa (puffed rice mixed with chicken curry) is one of the most popular Odia snacks. The jhal mudhi sold on the Puri beach is also a much-admired snack.
To protect its individuality, the Intellectual Property Right (IPR) cell of the Odisha University of Agriculture Technology (OUAT) had got Geographical Indication (GI) registration for the item way back in 2008.
Gokul Chandra Das, the general secretary of Mayurbhanj Cultural Association said: "To retain the authenticity of mudhi, it should be promoted the way it is originally made. The mudhi made in machines is quite different from the ones made in chulhas in the rural areas. As it is going to go global, it is imperative to be endorsed in its proper form."
The other dishes of India that are selected for a global launch includegushtaba of Kashmir, chicken curry of Punjab, khaakhra and khandvi of Gujarat, bamboo steam fish and vada of south India. Also included in the list are khaja and inarsa of Bihar, kabab of Uttar Pradesh, puran poli of Maharashtra and Hyderabadi biryani.
