Premium makhana from Bihar.

Commercial cultivation is concentrated in the north and north-east of Bihar, in perennial ponds, wetlands and oxbow lakes.

An aquatic plant of the water-lily family, and the only living species in its genus. Its stems and leaves carry sharp prickles, hence the name.

Self-pollination is typical of the crop. Fruits follow the flowers.

The seeds can float for several days before settling on the bottom, where they stay until harvest.

Traditionally, collectors fix a bamboo pole in one place, then dive to the bottom and draw the seeds towards it. It is demanding, labour-intensive work.

Traditionally the seeds are swung repeatedly in water in a crescent-shaped bamboo container, then cleaned again with clear water and picked over by hand.

In the traditional method, the sun-dried raw seeds are passed through sieves of different sizes, largest first, before they are roasted.

This is the traditional method: the hot seed is struck with a wooden mallet and the hard coat breaks as the kernel expands. Mechanised systems that roast and pop by machine also exist. We will say which method PHOOLZA's suppliers use once it is documented.

The hard outer coat breaks away as the kernel expands, leaving the light, white makhana.

In the trade, a higher suta number indicates a larger size. Specifications for each grade are shared on request.

We do not own the ponds or the processing units. Our role is selection, the PHOOLZA brand, and supply.