Joynagarer moya, which ranks very high on the sweet charts of West Bengal, makes a seasonal appearance in December and vanishes by the end of winter in West Bengal.

The main ingredients used in making Joynagarer moya – nolen gur or jaggery from date palm and kanakchur khoi (puffed rice made from a special aromatic rice variety) are available only during winter months. Other ingredients of the moya include gawa ghee (a type of clarified butter made from cow’s milk), cardamom and posto (poppy seeds).

In 1929, when pioneers like Purna Chandra Ghosh and Nitya Gopal Sarkar established moya manufacturing units and shops for selling the sweet delicacy at Bahuru near Joynagar, it was named after its market place (Joynagar), and not by its birth place (Bahuru). Subsequently, most of the units migrated to Joynagar, procuring the ingredients from Bahuru.

While the culling of date palm trees for urbanization is a reason for dwindling Joynagarer moya trade, fake Joynagarer moya poses a serious threat to the original variety with such malpractices as the use of cheaper ingredients, and attractive packaging - the original moya being ‘unimpressively’ packaged in comparison.

This January the makers of this popular delicacy are hoping to receive a GI label for Joynagarer moya – a welcome change that would weed out fakes from the moya market and give a much needed impetus to the trade.