The Hindu Business Line : Plan to promote cashew as food ingredient

The Cashew Export Promotion Council of India (CEPCI) is planning to promote cashew as an ingredient in food. The council wants to boost the use of cashew among consumers abroad.

CEPCI, which has taken up various initiatives in this regard, is now planning to come out with a new edition of a recipe book on cashew. This time, the recipe book will concentrate on the recipes prepared by home-makers .

Mr Walter D'Souza, the council's Chairman, told Business Line here on Monday that CEPCI was making efforts to increase the use of cashew as an ingredient in food among overseas customers. "At present, cashew is largely limited as a snack in the US and European markets. They constitute nearly 80 per cent of the cashew market in the world. We want to popularise the use of cashew in confectioneries and among housewives in those markets," he said.

CEPCI plans to bring out a new edition of a recipe book on cashew during the global buyer-seller meet in September this year. The previous edition was brought out in 2002 and it focussed on recipes from chefs.

Stating that there was a need to promote cashew as a paste in curry, he said much research has not been done on the use of cashew in food.

The CEPCI is planning to take the help of the Karnataka Cashew Manufacturers' Association (KCMA) for the publication of the new edition.

The KCMA President, Mr K. Prakash Rao, said the recently concluded `Swad Kaju Ka' - a cashew recipe competition for housewives in Bangalore organised by KCMA - evoked good response. The competition received more than 60 entries on cashew recipes. "These recipes will now be handed over to CEPCI. The council intends to convert these recipes into a book for distribution at international trade fairs for customers there," he said.

The participants in the competition came out with some of the innovative aspects on the use of cashew in food. Most of them made extensive use of full cashew in their recipes. "It shows that there is no resistance among housewives to use cashew in food. Price is not a constraint for its use," he said.

Mr D'Souza said there was good potential for popularising the use of cashew as a food ingredient in the SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) countries, especially in Pakistan. People in these countries should be convinced on the use of cashew in various food items. Demonstration on the use of cashew in food should be organised in those countries, he added.

More Stories on : Cashew | Promotions & Offers | Food & Cuisine

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page

Stories in this Section
Better quality could help S. India tea

Rubber futures improve

Upper Ganges Sugar plans rights issue

Triveni Engg net up 32%

Jute Corpn likely to show robust growth

MSP purchase of copra yet to begin

Plan to promote cashew as food ingredient

Panel set up to suggest measures to enhance box traffic thru NMPT

Cheering again

Cipla opposes patent application on bird-flu drug

Pesticide content: CFTRI clears Australian wheat

Wheat procurement to hit 10-year low