Visitors make a beeline for dates and honey fest

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The two-week long ‘Dates and Honey Festival’, organized by the Prakruthi Arogya Vichara Vedi, that got underway at the Bhagyamala auditorium here is proving to be a crowd-puller.
The festival has on display a wide variety of high quality dates and honey sold at prices lower than the market price. “The honey available at the expo is one of the purest forms unlike the ones normally available in supermarkets,” said Prakruthi Arogya Vichara Vedi secretary M A Maheen.
“There are around 30 varieties of sweet and normal dates, including the popular Fardh and Khajur varieties, on sale at the festival,” said Maheen. The dates, including varieties imported from countries like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iran, Iraq and Oman, will be sold at prices ranging between Rs 80 and Rs 125 per kg, depending on the variety.
The honey varieties on display include ‘vanthen’, ‘cheruthen’ and ‘kaatuthen’. The exotic Coorg variety, priced at Rs 350 per 100ml, is the most expensive one. Apart from honey, various honeybee varieties are also on display at the show.
Separate refreshment stalls where food items made out of dates and honey, including juices, payasam and halwas, are set up at the exhibition. ‘Honey soap’, a popular item of the last edition is also back. “After the response we got last year, we have decided to bring in larger quantities with improved quality too,” said the secretary. “This year, we have also made provisions for setting up stalls selling organic fruits from neighbouring states,” he added.