Kangina – Afghanistan’s Unique Method For Grape Preservation
Kangina is a very unique technique to preserve fruits for a long duration practiced in the Rural North region of Afghanistan.Kangina is a very affordable technique that can be adopted by any individual. In this article, we have discussed Kangina. It’s making and how it benefits in preservation.
Food is an important element for us, humans. For the longer shelf life of food we humans do prefer several ways of storing food items in cans, freezing, dehydration, and refrigeration.
But here in Afghanistan’s rural North, there is a traditional method being practiced for quite a long, this method is called “Kangina”. It’s a surprising hack to preserve summer fruits in winter without any of the fruit being destroyed or damaged.
This technique was introduced so that rural communities can take advantage of preserving fruit for a longer duration and who can not afford imported fruits.
Kangana is a method in which two layers of wet clay are used each filled with rich mud. Later a bowl shape is given and baked or dried under the sun.
After full drying, Kangina is ready to preserve fruits like grapes. “ Usually farmers prefer thick-skinned grapes harvested at the end of the season,” said the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization’s Country Representative.
Also Read:- Tips and Tricks for Long Preservation of Grains
Despite being used for hundreds of years, this preservation method has hardly ever been examined or documented, which is surprising given that Afghanistan's geographic region has been one of the oldest grape-growing regions in the world since at least 2000 BC.
The double layer of clay act as a protected wall which prevents and completely seal grapes preventing from air and moisture like a zip lock bag or Tupperware.
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According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock, around 1.5 Million tons of fruit varieties are produced and just 1/3 of the portion is exported.
Kangana is a very efficient and innovative method to store fruits for around six months.
A very affordable and cheap technique that can be easily adopted. Therefore think of no preservatives, no chemical treatment, no electricity requirements, and only mud baked under the sun.
Also Read:- Top 5 Tips To Store Your Grains Properly After Harvesting
