The Tirupati Laddu also obtained a GI tag in 2009. 'Dittam,' a list of ingredients and their proportions, guides the preparation of Tirupati Laddus.
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Hyderabad: The Tirumala temple kitchen, known as 'Potu', prepares the highly revered Tirupati Laddu, which has garnered attention for all the wrong reasons in recent days.
The Tirupati Laddu also obtained a GI tag in 2009. 'Dittam,' a list of ingredients and their proportions, guides the preparation of Tirupati Laddus.
The Laddu offering to Lord Sri Venkateswara, the presiding deity of Tirumala hill shrine, is believed to have begun in the year 1715. The temple kitchen employs around 620 cooks, known as Potu Karmikulu, to prepare laddus in the laddu potu.
According to Dittam, the ingredients in Tirupati Laddu include gram flour, cardamom, cashew nuts, ghee, sugar, sugar candy, and raisins. A trip to Tirumala is considered complete only after having Laddu Prasadam, which has a distinct taste and aroma.
TTD that manages the Tirumala temple makes around 3 to 3.5 lakh Laddus every day and also earns close to Rs 500 crore only by selling Laddus to the pilgrims. Laddu Potu Kitchen has the capacity to make around eight lakh laddus in a day. It also has three conveyor belts to transport raw materials and Laddus.