- #unapologeticallyreal
Current global discourse widely dictates that the general public are growing increasingly more aware of their surroundings, and more cautious of what they are consuming.
Healthy and sustainable living is at the forefront, and the majority of the public are looking to introduce all-natural products into their lifestyles, particularly in their diets.
With veganism and vegetarianism becoming more and more popular, plant-based diets have become increasingly more common.
As Sri Lankans, adopting a healthier and majority plant-based diet really isn’t something that new, or difficult. Sri Lankan agricultural efforts for generations have produced nutritious and wholesome flavours that have tremendous medicinal and health benefits. Many of the herbal and organic varieties of what we grow locally have gained popularity around the world.
One such plant-based item is kithul, commonly used as a naturally occurring sweetener – it’s health benefits are invaluable. However, the virtues of kithul have sadly become diluted over the years, with many prominent brands in Sri Lanka opting to pass off sugar as kithul rather than 100% pure kithul with a favouring of quantity over quality.
To remedy this, Ceylon Saplings has introduced RAGA virgin kithul syrup – a brand new entrant to the industry. RAGA has adopted a holistic approach to sourcing and procuring the kithul; employing technically skilled and well-trained kithul farmers as Agri Ceylon (Pvt.) Ltd. partners with RAGA, and therefore getting the product directly from the source, eliminating third party dealers and consequent quality dilution.
Speaking to Mahesha De Alwis of Ceylon Saplings, she shared that the process of sourcing kithul is such that the sap is collected into containers which are immediately sealed and tagged with a unique barcode that has all the vital information pertaining to the harvest. She shared that the barcode allows the company to track the movement of every container through a state-of-the-art automated system – the only automated system within the industry in Sri Lanka – offered exclusively to RAGA. The sap is then boiled down in machines that prepare the sap for consumption, which are designed locally and especially for RAGA taking into consideration production efficiency.
She shared that RAGA will be releasing a range of new kithul-infused products, including innovative fresh items such as kithul wine. However, such efforts are still in the market research stages. Customers can soon expect a range of new pure kithul-related products.
Mahesha shared that in their efforts to focus on ethical production, they employ other staff who are now able to earn a reliable source of income, especially women. She shared that RAGA hopes to be a brand that champions women, adding that women have long held an important role in the production of homemade kithul as it was the matriarchs of the kithul cultivator families that oversaw boiling down the kithul to the perfect consistency. Kithul production was often a family affair, but not always celebrated that way in the larger society.
Mahesha stated that RAGA kithul is 100% pure virgin kithul, they can assure that as every step of the process of bringing fresh kithul from the tree to the table is monitored by their teams, they can guarantee there are absolutely no added sugars, additives, or diluents combined with the sap to alter it in any way. She stated: “The team at RAGA is ‘unapologetically real’ about being transparent and honest about delivering a product that is true to nature and to the legacy from which kithul originated.”
For more details on RAGA kithul and the work they are doing to promote the industry, please call Gayathrie Dasanayake at 0777 33 1554 / gayathrie@ceylonsaplings.lk or Mahesha De Alwis at 077 770 9993 / mahesha@ceylonsaplings.lk.
