Pootharekulu

Pootharekulu translates to "leaf candy" — poutha meaning covered or wrapped, rekulu meaning sheets. The name describes exactly what this is: something wrapped in incredibly thin sheets. These sheets are made from rice starch paste spread onto the outside of a heated earthen pot, dried for seconds, peeled off, and layered with jaggery, ghee and dry fruits. Repeat several times until you have a multi-layered, almost translucent roll.

This process happens in Atreyapuram village in East Godavari, and it has for at least two centuries. The sweet has a GI tag (Geographical Indication), meaning the name "Atreyapuram Pootharekulu" is legally protected, recognising that the unique combination of the local water, the traditional technique and the specific rice variety used there produces a sweet that cannot be genuinely replicated elsewhere.

The taste is delicate. Rice starch by itself is mild — what you taste is the jaggery and ghee that the sheets are folded with, and the dry fruits inside. The texture is papery on the outside and soft inside where the filling is. It melts quickly.

Because of how they're made, these need careful handling and packaging. They're not as travel-hardy as a laddu or a chikki — they're fragile. We pack them specifically for this.