Odisha: Kendrapada seeks GI tag for ‘Rasabali’

KENDRAPADA: The residents of Kendrapada have recently demanded that Rasabali — a sweet dish that had originated in the 400-year-old Baladevjew Temple in the district — be given a Geographical Indication (GI) tag.
Rasabali consists of deep-fried flattened reddish brown patties of cheese that are soaked in thickened and sweetened milk. Several people of the district earn a living by selling the sweet.
“The GI tag is used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin.Hence, we decided to place our demand before the state government so that they initiate steps for the same,” Sourchandra Sahoo, president of the Kendrapada Rasabali Makers’ Association, said.
The GI status will give Rasabali a distinct identity and no one else can misuse the name to market a similar sweet. “Kendrapada’s Rasabali is one of the most delicious sweets of the country, but because of the poor promotion and export facilities, it is not getting marketed properly. Once the sweet gets the tag, it can be easily differentiated from other similar sweets both in the national and international markets,” Balabhadra Patri, executive officer at the Baladevjew Temple, said.
The tag will boost the export of Rasabali besides putting Kendrapada on the global map. “A team has been formed to prepare a dossier in support of the claim. After it is completed, we will submit it to the state government. Once it has been examined, the dossier will be sent to the office of the Geographical Indications Registry in Chennai,” Basudev Das, a noted researcher of Kendrapada, said.
“Rasabali will acquire more prominence in the market and the makers get the best price. It is a unique sweet and is not available anywhere else in the world. But we still don’t have a GI registration for it,” Baishaba Panda, a Rasabali maker, said, adding that the certification would stop the prevalent adulteration of Rasabali.