Nut trail mix alias kadalai urundai

I used to run around the house in search of a 50 paise coin or escort any guest who comes to my home till the street corner so they would flip me a 1 rupee coin in to my hands so lavishly. The joy is unforgettable. My friends and myself even envied the glittering coin on a dead body's forehead called as Nethi Kasu :)..

This was before 15 years :)..

     

Ok, why do we need this coin for ? nothing but to go and buy a groundnut candy(Kadalai mittai). Its a candy usually in the size of a brussel sprout. It is made from ground nuts roasted till it becomes golden brown and cane jaggery sauce melt is poured on it and usually made in to small  bal like candies. These are made from indian groundnuts and cane jaggery and no other nonsense ingredients.

It gives a great aroma when you eat and it increases digestion. Usually we have a handful when going to play in ground or visit our farms, whenever we are tired we munch on it and move forward our journey.

I never thought there would be a day when this will go out of my sight. It was always a part and identity of our tradition and one fine day its nearing extinction.

This is again because of the ignorance of my dear dravidian people, they under estimated the power of these candies

1) Kadalai mittai - Groundnut bar
2) Pottukadalai urundai - Channa dhal candy

3) Pori urundai - Rice crisps candy

Due to our attraction on western culture we started to avoid eating these. It was a part of our functions and people distributed them and even they made these at home. Nowadays these are being replaced by cocoa and caramel candies. Lots and lots of small cottage industries which provided us these small packets of joy are now being crushed on by candy giants. We not only crushed those poor people involved in this domestic snack industry but also our culture. Our next generation is not going to get the joy of eating kadalai mittai.

I still see some in shops now, but its not as authentic as usual. These are machine pressed and commercially prepared and definitely of no use to poor but the rich and the middle men involved in the business.

One more thing which makes me sad is that these nutrition rich candies are now modified as nutrition bars and diet bars and sold in costco with an US patent for an unimaginable price. Its cost is 50 paise * 600 now :)... meaning atleast $6 a pack.The same idiotic people who helped eradicate my beloved indigenious candies by promoting caramel are buying these nutty bars for maintainig their waist at a higher cost not to themselves but to the dravidian community also.

Indeed they are eating diet bars because of the obesity caused by the corn syrup and caramel and other ingredients in the modern day candies.

Instead people could have supported the native kadalai mittai&sibblings and stayed healthy supporting a small family which was making a life out of it and also could have saved our culture.