Ram Kand Mool is sold on every street, but when asked about its origins, no vendor is willing to disclose anything.
Ram Kand Mool is a popular snack that has frequently appeared on street corners in India for the past few decades. It is cylindrical in shape, with a red exterior and a creamy white interior, resembling a drum, with each piece weighing up to 300 kg.
When sold to customers, vendors slice Ram Kand Mool into thin pieces, usually offering just 1 to 3 slices per serving, wrapped in leaves or paper. The snack is often seasoned with honey, palm sugar, lemon, salt, or chili powder to enhance its flavor.
The snack seasoned with sugar and lemon. (Photo: Atlas Obscura).
Diners find that Ram Kand Mool is crunchy and refreshing, somewhat similar to coconut flesh but quite bland; most of its flavor comes from the accompanying spices. Vendors assert that this snack can quench thirst, cool the body in summer, and acts as a pain reliever.
This snack is touted as the only food that Lord Rama relied on for survival after he was exiled to the forest with his wife Sita and brother Lakshman. Vendors promote it as an ideal remedy for heat in summer, satisfying hunger and thirst, and even claim it can help alleviate pain. Ram Kand Mool can be enjoyed with various seasonings, including chili, salt, lemon, and sugar.
Video: YouTube
Indian botanists began to take notice of the snack in the 1980s, but they could not precisely identify the plant it comes from. They made efforts to inquire with vendors, but the responses were unsatisfactory. Some vendors refused to reveal any information, while others admitted they also purchased it from third parties and were unaware of the production source. Others claimed it was a stem, while some insisted it was a tuber. Botanists had to bring their questions to scientists. Strangely, even science could not provide a 100% definitive answer.
Indian journalist and food blogger Bartha Kumari once explained the mystery of the snack’s origin on Atlas Obscura. In 1994, botanist Dr. Koppula Hemadri began traveling across the country to uncover the mystery. His search led him to believe that it is agave (Agave plant). However, like his colleagues, he stated that he could not provide concrete evidence that Ram Kand Mool is made from this plant.
Each piece of Ram Kand Mool can weigh up to 300 kg. (Photo: Facebook).
During that time, Dr. Ali Moulali attempted to “bribe” a supplier of this street food for 1,000 – 2,000 Rupees (14-27 USD) to reveal the snack’s origins. After some hesitation, the man stated that the component of Ram Kand Mool is Kitta Nara, a term used to describe agave fibers. He added that the snack is not made from roots but from something that grows above ground.
By 2010, the answer to the question: “What is Ram Kand Mool made from?” started to become clearer. Scientists conducted DNA testing on a thin slice of the snack. The results indicated that it matched 89% of the DNA from the Agave plant. This plant contains alkaloids (a group of natural organic compounds found in many plants, including those in the nightshade and opium families). Therefore, consuming them in large quantities can be very toxic. This explains why vendors only offer slices in thin portions.
In 2011, scientists narrowed down the options and specifically identified the plant used to make this snack as Agave sisalana (Sisal or Cuban fiber plant). Ram Kand Mool is essentially the stem. A paper detailing this significant discovery was published in a scientific journal that same year. However, the story doesn’t end there.
Due to the existence of multiple Agave species, scientists could not conclusively determine the exact origin of this famous street snack; it could be Sisalana, Americana (American fiber plant), or another exotic species. “We cannot conclude until suppliers show us their factory specifically used for producing this snack,” said Dr. Vinod B. Shimpale. However, none of the vendors are willing to reveal this to scientists, as they want to keep their business secrets and create an air of mystery around the snack as a promotional tactic.
A close-up of the snack called Ram Kand Mool. (Photo: NoMadic Traveller/Facebook).
The secrecy surrounding the snack’s origins seems to be a key characteristic of the business. Officials in Maharashtra even monitored street vendors to trace the source, but all attempts were in vain. Bulk purchasing of this product is never accepted by the producers, nor do they disclose any information related to the snack. Such matters are considered “taboo.” “Ask anything other than that, and no one will give you the exact answer. This is a business secret,” said a Ram Kand Mool vendor.
The secret may be the recipe’s success for this snack. (Photo: Atlas Obscura).
However, not everyone agrees on the snack’s origins. Wikipedia describes Ram Kand Mool as the root of the Maerua oblongifolia shrub. However, this site also acknowledges that the ingredients are brought to the production site very secretly. Botanists remain skeptical about the snack’s origin, and to this day, no one has been able to provide a precise answer regarding what Ram Kand Mool actually is.
