For centuries the tribals in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district have been consuming the red weaver ants in a myriad of ways to supplement their nutritional needs. One of the popular ways of eating these ants is by making a spicy chutney from them. On January 4, this chutney, called the Similipal Kai chutney received a Geographical Indication (GI) tag from the government. A GI tag authenticates that a certain object is an indigenous speciality of a place.
The GI tag application for the Similipal Kai chutney was filed by The Mayurbhanj Kai Society Ltd in 2020. The Similipal Kai chutney is made with a mix of spices and red weaver ants that are found all year round in the forests of the Mayurbhanj district in Odisha. The red weaver ants are called ‘kai pimpudi’ in the local dialect. These red ants are found in small and big nests that they create by weaving the leaves. The nests can withstand wind and water. They can be a few centimetres small and also as big as over half a meter in length.
The Similipal Kai chutney is known for its high nutritional and healing properties. Down To Earth reported that when scientists of Odisha University of Agriculture & Technology in Bhubaneswar analysed the red weaver ants, they found that the ants were full of proteins, calcium, vitamin B-12, iron, magnesium, zinc, potassium, sodium, and copper.
Nayadhar Padhial, who is the secretary of the Mayurbhanj Kai Society told Down to Earth that they have been popularising the ant chutney outside of the tribal communities by organising tribal food festivals where this chutney was sold. The retired engineer said, “We started the society in 2018 to promote kai pimpudi chutney by organizing tribal food festivals and awareness meetings.” The newly issued GI tag is bound to make the chutney more popular.
Deepak Mohanty, a senior scientist and head of Krishi Vigyan Kendra at Jashipur in Mayurbhanj district, told Down to Earth that the red weaver ant is the primary source of protection for the health of the local tribes. The tribals also consume the red weaver ants in a soup. Additionally, the ants are also used to make a medicinal oil that is believed to help cure illnesses like rheumatism and gout.
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