India · origin & quality
From Bihar, across India.
Makhana from Bihar, coordinated from the PHOOLZA Base in Visakhapatnam, and supplied to businesses across India. Below: the network, where makhana comes from, how it is traditionally made, and the standard we are building to.
How PHOOLZA works
From origin to operations.
From Bihar. Through Visakhapatnam. Across India. Towards the world.
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01
Bihar
Origin & manufacturing base
Where our makhana is grown, sourced and processed, through manufacturing arrangements in Bihar. PHOOLZA does not own the ponds or farms.
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02
Visakhapatnam
PHOOLZA Base
Where PHOOLZA is run from: enquiries, buyers and supply are coordinated from Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.
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03
India
Markets we are building
Supply enquiries are welcome from markets across India. Availability and delivery are confirmed per order.
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04
World
Future international opportunity
International markets are the next horizon. Export enquiries are welcome; PHOOLZA is not yet shipping overseas.
India today; the world next. Cities and regions shown elsewhere are enquiry markets and future opportunities, not offices or stock points.
India in motion
From Bihar to markets across India.
Makhana from Bihar, coordinated from the PHOOLZA Base in Visakhapatnam. Choose a city to start a supply enquiry there.
- BiharOrigin & manufacturing
- VisakhapatnamPHOOLZA Base
- Markets we are building across IndiaSupply enquiries welcome
Choose a city to enquire about supply there.
City
Visakhapatnam
PHOOLZA supply enquiry
PHOOLZA's business and operating base. Supply enquiries from Visakhapatnam and the region are welcome.
City
Hyderabad
PHOOLZA supply enquiry
Supply enquiries from Hyderabad are welcome. Availability, lead time and delivery are confirmed for each order.
City
Bangalore
PHOOLZA supply enquiry
Supply enquiries from Bangalore are welcome. Availability, lead time and delivery are confirmed for each order.
City
Chennai
PHOOLZA supply enquiry
Supply enquiries from Chennai are welcome. Availability, lead time and delivery are confirmed for each order.
City
Pune
PHOOLZA supply enquiry
Supply enquiries from Pune are welcome. Availability, lead time and delivery are confirmed for each order.
City
Mumbai
PHOOLZA supply enquiry
Supply enquiries from Mumbai are welcome. Availability, lead time and delivery are confirmed for each order.
City
Delhi
PHOOLZA supply enquiry
Supply enquiries from Delhi are welcome. Availability, lead time and delivery are confirmed for each order.
India
Other Indian markets
PHOOLZA supply enquiry
Not on the map? Supply enquiries from anywhere in India are welcome. Tell us your city; availability, lead time and delivery are confirmed for each order.
Illustrative. The cities shown are markets where supply enquiries are welcome; they do not indicate local stock, offices, warehouses or partners.
The traditional makhana journey
Where it begins.
In still, fresh water: ponds, wetlands and old river channels. Bihar is India's main makhana-growing region.
The plant from which makhana comes
Euryale ferox
The prickly water lily: an aquatic plant of the water-lily family, with large, round leaves that float on the surface.
General background on how makhana is traditionally grown. It does not describe PHOOLZA's own operations.
Euryale ferox grows in still, fresh water. Its huge, round leaves are puckered on top and float on the surface; its stems and leaves carry sharp prickles, which give it the name prickly water lily.
From late spring, flowers push up through the leaves. Many never fully open and pollinate themselves. Fruits follow the flowers.
The fruit is round and spiny, and holds many seeds. When it bursts, the seeds float for a short while, then sink to the pond bed, where they are later gathered.
Botanical illustration based on published descriptions of Euryale ferox.
The harvest
From pond bed to drying mat.
The seeds that sank to the pond bed are gathered, washed and dried. This is traditional practice in outline; PHOOLZA does not perform these steps itself.
- 01
Collect
Skilled collectors gather the seeds by hand from the pond bed, from late summer into winter.
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Clean
The seeds are washed in water to remove mud and debris.
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Dry
They are spread out and dried in the sun, then sorted by size.
Seed to makhana
A hard black seed becomes a light, crisp pop.
The dried seeds are sorted by size, roasted, rested and roasted again. Struck while hot, the hard shell breaks and the kernel pops. Drag or choose a stage.
01 · Seed
The raw seed
A hard, black seed, gathered from the pond bed, washed and sun-dried.
02 · Processing
Roast, rest, roast
Sorted by size, roasted, rested for two to three days, then roasted again.
03 · Popped
The pop
Struck while hot, the shell breaks and the kernel pops into light, crisp makhana.
04 · Graded
Graded by size
Makhana is traded by size grade, called suta in the trade: 4, 5 and 6 Suta in our range.
05 · PHOOLZA supply
To buyers
PHOOLZA supplies selected grades to wholesale, bulk and export buyers, from its base in Visakhapatnam.
Illustration of the traditional process in outline; not a depiction of a specific production line.
Our journey
From source to delivery.
Where PHOOLZA stands at each stage: what is in place today, and what is still being finalised.
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Source
Bihar, India
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Selection
Standards set; checks being finalised
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Grading
8 grades across 4, 5 and 6 Suta
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Processing
Process being finalised
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Packing
Retail pack being finalised
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Delivery
Arranged with each buyer, per order
Our standards
Quality starts before the pack.
Size, colour, moisture and processing all show up in the bowl. These are the principles we are building PHOOLZA to. As our checks are put in place, we will describe how each one is applied.
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Selected
A grade should be judged on size and appearance before it carries our name.
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Consistent
A grade should look the same from one lot to the next.
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Simple
Makhana presented plainly, with nothing to hide behind.
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Transparent
Clear product and sourcing information, with open items marked as open.
Certifications and test results will be listed only once they are in place. Until then, see what is confirmed on the product page.
Stock it, distribute it, or just ask a question.
We reply to every enquiry by email at hello@phoolza.in.