A steamed dumpling made of ripe jackfruit, jaggery and rice flour wrapped in an aromatic leaf with the fragrance of cinnamon has begun to enjoy popularity as a snack. It is proving to be a winner for the Neeloor Producer Company (NPC), a farmer-producer organization (FPO) in Kottayam district of Kerala.
Called kumbiliyappam or chakka ada, the snack is a fusion of flavours particularly so because of the edana or vayana leaf which is redolent and tastes like cinnamon. It all adds up to a tasty, modestly priced and hugely successful snack that has brightened the prospects of the NPC, which was started in 2017 in Neeloor near Pala. It is now the biggest producer of kumbiliyappam. The company sells value-added jackfruit products as well, and is eyeing a turnover of Rs 2.5 crore next year.