Wednesday, March 20, 2024

122. Uttarakhand Tejpat

Uttarakhand Tejpat is Indian Bay leaf found in Himalayan region, from 500 m to 2400 m altitude in the State of Uttarkhand. Uttarakhand Tejpat is collected from both wild and cultivated plantations. The taste of the leaves is sweetish, sharp and spicy. It possesses a delicate spicy aroma, which is both pungent and sweet.

The Indian Bay leaves are a popular spice in households across the country. In Northern India, it is an essential ingredient of Mughal Cuisine along with cloves and cardamom. It is generously used in a food preparation called ‘biryani’ and hence, is also known as ‘Biryani leaf’, locally in some parts of the country. 

The Uttarakhand Tejpat primarily belongs to chemotype known as ‘Cinnamaldehyde’ type. Due to the presence of ‘Cinnamaldehyde’, this variety of Tejpat from Uttarakhand is best known as ‘Meetha Tejpat’, and it is predominately used in manufacture of ‘chavanprash’ and other medicines and also in spice industry. 

In Uttarakhand’s cuisine and cuisine of Terai, which is milder than North India, bay leaf forms an important ingredient. The sweet chemotype of Uttarakhand Tejpat, adds to the mildness and deep flavour the leaves impart. 

Botanical classification of Uttarakhand Tejpat is as given below

Kingdom   : Plantae

Phylum     : Magnoliphyta

Class        : Magnoliopsida

Order        : Laurales

Family      : Lauraceae

Genus      : Cinnamomum

Species    : tamala

Botanical name : Cinnamomum Tamala (Buch – Ham) Nees & Eberm

The etymology is derived from the Greek word “Kinnamomon” meaning ‘spice’. The Greeks borrowed the word from Phonenicians, indicating that they traded with the East from early times, the specific epithet ‘tamala’ is after a local name of the plant in India. It is also called as Indian Cassia or Bay leaf. 

Leaves are widely used as a spice in the flavouring industry particularly for meats, fast food seasonings and savoury snacks, sausage, sauces and pickles, baked goods, confectionery, beverages, cola – type drinks, tobacco flavours. It is also used as a natural food preservative for pineapple juice; 

Leaf oil and bark oil used as an analgesic in dental preparations (due to the presence of eugenol) and in pharmaceutical industries. Bark is also used as a spice for flavouring food. It is also used in perfumery. Essential oil is used in the flavouring and formulation of liquors and confectionaries.

Oil extensively used as fragrance component in soaps, detergents, cosmetics, toothpastes, insecticides, insect repellent and industrial fragrance. It is used in Ayurvedic preparations including ‘tridosha’ / ‘trijata’, chavanprash, chandraprabhavati

GI Tag Registration Date         : 31 May 2016

GI Tag Number                         : 520

Certificate Number                  : 267

Geographical Area                  : Uttarkhand

Special Cover Release Date   : 31 August 2021

Cancellation                             : Gopeshwar 246 401

Type                                          : GI Tag Cover

Cover Identification Number  : UK/01/2021-22

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Enlarged View of Cancellation

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