Revival of Kotta Kaju
Rancrisp Cashew, the multiple award winning premium quality Sri Lankan cashew exporter, has pioneered in introducing yet another revolutionary cashew product with the characteristic taste of traditional Kotta Kaju, the smoked cashew nut of yesteryear. Rancrisp Kotta Kaju comes in a hygienically processed handy pack with the characteristic taste of Grand Ma’s kitchen.
When it comes to food preserving, our ancestors used several methods which were very simple and going easily with their way of life. Smoking was one popular method of preserving dried fish, meat, vegetables and fruits for which traditional Sri Lankans used to make a wooden shelf with sticks above the fire place, called attic, in the kitchen. As firewood was burning almost round the clock fair amount of heat and, of course, smoke was there. When cashew was introduced in 16th century our grandmothers saw the possibility of preserving cashew nuts just as they preserved jak nuts.
Cashew is a seasonal crop that bears fruit in April/June and women used to keep excessive nuts in a bag hung above fire place or kept in the wooden shelf or the attic for their future requirements all over the year.
When cashew nut is exposed to smoke for sometime it gives a special taste. Due to this astounding taste Kotta Kaju (as the smoked cashew nuts were known) inherits a special value and demand. However, with firewood and chimney being replaced by gas cookers and electric ovens in modern kitchens, traditional Kotta Kaju with its characteristic taste has almost been buried in the sands of time.
With their unwavering commitment to quality and preserving the natural taste of their products, Rancrisp Cashew has thought of bringing back the characteristic taste of Kotta Kaju. Strictly complying with the international food processing standards Rancrisp has successfully introduced innovation to the manufacturing process of traditional Kotta Kaju. Thus, the company has been able to come up with a new variety of Kotta Kaju made not in Grandma’s kitchen but in a sophisticated manufacturing plant.
