Across India, in January, Sankranti is celebrated differently but with the same sentiment at heart. It is known by different names too – Magh Bihu in Assam, Makar Sankranti in Maharashtra and Gujarat, Pongal in Tamil Nadu and Sankranthi in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
With more people migrating from villages to cities, the nature of the festival has also changed. In villages, it still revolves around the end of the hard work in the fields since the crops have been sown; in cities it is the culture that stays alive. Traditional cuisine is at the core of Sankranthi with Pindivantalu, Panchabhakshya and Paramannams. The preparation for this could last for the whole week.
This is especially the time for Ariselu, Pulagam, Paramannam, and Payasam. Homes across the state will have an array of these including kajjikayalu, murukulu and bundi laddu.
Ariselu is one of the most important of these and there is a specific technique to making it. While the basic ingredients are the same, many traditional preparation methods, especially the caramelization of the jaggery, are still closely guarded secrets in families.
“Everyone loves eating different kinds of sweets and savories all through Sankrathi and this continues well after the festival is over. This only means that the ingredients of the food have to be of the best quality including the oil used. Food cooked in Gold Drop stays fresher longer due to our world-class quality manufacturing standards. To us, this is the ‘Sankranthi ka Swaad’”, says Mitesh Lohiya, Director, Sales and Marketing, Gold Drop.
Sankrathi with its different cultures and cuisines adds so much flavour to communities across India as well as Bangladesh and Nepal.
