The fiery red hot cherry pepper of Sikkim, Dalle Khursani has been approved for a Geographical Indication (GI) by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade. The product earned the GI tag based on an application filed by the North Eastern Regional Agricultural Marketing Corporation Limited (Neramac) in Guwahati on behalf of Sikkim.
It is one of the popular chilies of the northeast region. And it is also believed to have medicinal properties.
“With GI, the crop will have global recognition and the marketing of the product will be beyond the national borders, said Sikkim horticulture secretary M.T. Sherpa in a report.
Currently, these chilies are sold at a price of Rs 480 per kg in the local markets of Sikkim.
These cherry peppers are consumed in different ways in the state. One of the popular versions is the sauce or chutney that is served with momos. Apart from the sauce, people in Sikkim make pickles and pastes out these beautiful round chillies.
The tag for Dalle Khursani was mentioned in the August 31 issue of the Geographical Indications Journal, published by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade. The journal mentioned that the Dalle Khursani is rich in vitamin A, vitamin E, and potassium. It has a very low quantity of sodium. About one hundred grams of fresh Dalle Khursani contains 240 mg of vitamin C which is five times more than an orange. It also contains 11,000 IU of vitamin A, and 0.7 mg of vitamin E.
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