The Uthukuli Butter Manufacturing Association, which is based out of Tiruppur, the knitwear capital of India, has filed an application seeking geographical indication (GI) tag for ‘Uthukuli Vennai’ (butter).
The application process was facilitated by the NABARD Madurai Agribusiness Incubation Forum (MABIF) and was filed by P. Sanjai Gandhi, an IP attorney specialising in Geographical Indication registration of products. These butter processing units are spread across locations including Pappampalayam, Vengalapalayam, Chengapalli, Thippampalayam, Kodumanal, Chennimalai, Kangeyam and Villa Kovil.
While there are several butter variants available in the market, what sets this butter apart is its distinctive attributes: a non-glossy texture, a subtly sour taste, and an impressive shelf life, all attributed to the quality of the fodder and the creamy richness of buffalo milk.
According to details in the filing: “In the past, households in Uthukuli with cattle would often have surplus milk. To preserve it, they would heat the milk, add curd, and freeze it in earthen pots, colloquially known as ‘yogurt pots.’ Every Uthukuli household is likely to possess one of these pots, a symbol of their dairy heritage. Housewives would then meticulously churn butter from this curd, a cherished tradition passed down through generations.”
