Authoor Vetrilai is a traditional crop variety of

Betel leaf Betel (''Piper betle'') is a species of flowering plant in the pepper family Piperaceae, native to Southeast Asia. It is an evergreen, dioecious vine, with glossy heart-shaped leaves and white catkins. Betel plants are cultivated for their leav ...

cultivated in the

Indian state India is a federal union comprising 28 states and 8 union territories, for a total of 36 subnational entities. The states and union territories are further subdivided into 800 districts and smaller administrative divisions by the respe ...

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of Indi ...

. It is mainly cultivated in Authoor, Rajapathi, Chokkapalakarai,

Maranthalai Maranthalai is a village in Thoothukudi district in the state of Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth l ...

, Vellakoil, Melaattur, Sernthapoomangalam, Vazhavallan,

Korkai Korkai is a small village in the Srivaikuntam taluk of Thoothukudi district in Tamil Nadu, India. It was called Pandya-Kavada in the Kapatapuram in Kalithogai. It is situated about 3 km north of the Thamirabarani River and about 6 k ...

and Umarikadu block panchayaths of

Thoothukudi Thoothukudi (formerly called Tuticorin) is a port city, port industrial city in Thoothukudi district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It lies on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. The city is capital and headquarters of the di ...

district of Tamil Nadu. Under its

Geographical Indication A geographical indication (GI) is a name or sign used on products which corresponds to a specific geographical location or origin (e.g., a town or region). The use of a geographical indication, as an indication of the product's source, is inten ...

tag, it is referred to as "Authoor Vetrilai".

Name

It is named after its place of origin, the Authoor region. "Vetrilai" means "betel leaf" in the local state language of

Tamil Tamil may refer to: People, culture and language * Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka ** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...

Description

This variety of betel leaf comes in three distinct variants - Nattukodi, Pachaikodi, and Karpoori. The book " The Travels of Marco Polo (The Venetian)" mentions the use of betel leaves in the city of Kael, which is located just 10 km from Authoor village. Authoor and nearby areas in Thoothukudi district are famous for betel vine cultivation, covering 200 hectares. The

Thamirabarani The Thamirabarani or Tamraparni or Porunai is a perennial river that originates from the Agastyarkoodam peak of Pothigai hills of the Western Ghats, above Papanasam in the Ambasamudram taluk. It flows through Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi dis ...

river is the primary source of irrigation. Betel leaves play a significant role in various aspects of life, including food, medicine, social, and religious purposes. They are an essential item in social gatherings, weddings, and festivals. The majority of people in Authoor and nearby areas depend on betel vine cultivation and allied sectors for their livelihood. The farmers of Authoor cultivate several varieties of betel leaves, including 'Chakkai', 'Maaththu', 'Raasi', and 'Sanna Ragam'. However, it's the 'Chakkai' and 'Maaththu' varieties that are in high demand and enjoy an excellent market in major cities across India, including

Indore Indore (; ISO 15919, ISO: , ) is the largest and most populous Cities in India, city in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. The commercial capital of the state, it has been declared as the List of cleanest cities in India, cleanest city of In ...

Jaipur Jaipur (; , ) is the List of state and union territory capitals in India, capital and the List of cities and towns in Rajasthan, largest city of the north-western States and union territories of India, Indian state of Rajasthan. , the city had ...

Bhopal Bhopal (; ISO 15919, ISO: Bhōpāl, ) is the capital (political), capital city of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh and the administrative headquarters of both Bhopal district and Bhopal division. It is known as the ''City of Lakes,'' due to ...

Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, but spread chiefly to the west, or beyond its Bank (geography ...

Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...

Agra Agra ( ) is a city on the banks of the Yamuna river in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, about south-east of the national capital Delhi and 330 km west of the state capital Lucknow. With a population of roughly 1.6 million, Agra is the ...

Bengaluru Bengaluru, also known as Bangalore (List of renamed places in India#Karnataka, its official name until 1 November 2014), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the southern States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kar ...

Nellore Nellore, also spelt as Nelluru, is a city located on the banks of Penna River, in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh, India.Thiruvananthapuram Thiruvananthapuram ( ), also known as Trivandrum, is the Capital city, capital city of the Indian state of Kerala. As of 2011, the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation had a population of 957,730 over an area of 214.86 sq. km, making it the ...

Geographical indication

It was awarded the

(GI) status tag from the Geographical Indications Registry, under the

Union Government of India The Government of India (ISO: Bhārata Sarakāra, legally the Union Government or Union of India or the Central Government) is the national authority of the Republic of India, located in South Asia, consisting of 36 states and union territo ...

, on 31 March 2023 which is valid up to 10 November 2030. Authoor Vattara Vetrilai Viyasayigal Sangam from Authoor, proposed the GI registration of 'Authoor Vetrilai'. After filing the application in November 2020, the Betel leaf was granted the GI tag in 2023 by the Geographical Indication Registry in

Chennai Chennai, also known as Madras (List of renamed places in India#Tamil Nadu, its official name until 1996), is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Tamil Nadu by population, largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost states and ...

, making the name "Authoor Vetrilai" exclusive to the Betel leaf cultivated in the region. It thus became the first Betel leaf variety from Tamil Nadu and the 53rd type of goods from Tamil Nadu to earn the GI tag. The prestigious GI tag, awarded by the GI registry, certifies that a product possesses distinct qualities, adheres to traditional production methods, and has earned a reputation rooted in its geographical origin.

References

{{Reflist Indian cuisine Tamil cuisine Economy of Tamil Nadu GI Tagged Betel leaf varieties of India Agriculture in Tamil Nadu Geographical indications in Tamil Nadu

Name

Description

Geographical indication

See also

References