History of Lord Venkateswara’s Tirupati Laddu served to devotees at Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams

The iconic Tirupati LadduTirupati, offered to Lord Venkateswara and served to devotees since 1715, became the centre of controversy on September 19. A report shared by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu claimed that during the previous YSR Congress Party government, beef tallow and fish oil were present in the ghee used in preparing the holy Tirupati. Laddu prasadam at the Tirumala temple.

Tallow, a form of animal fat rendered from beef or lamb, is composed primarily of triglycerides. It typically refers to the hard fat surrounding the kidneys and loin of these animals. However, in the industry, the term “tallow” does not refer exclusively to beef or lamb fat.

History of the iconic Tirupati Laddu Prasadam

The tradition of offering Laddu prasadam at the Tirumala Temple, located in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, dates back over 300 years to 1715. prasadam It is prepared in a specialized kitchen called Potuwhere skilled artisans from a traditional community have honed their craft for generations.

These cooks follow specific customs, which include shaving their heads and wearing a single clean garment while preparing the sacred offering, The Indian Express reported.

The first laddu of each batch is offered to Lord Venkateswara, the presiding deity of the temple, before being distributed among the devotees. Each visitor receives one laddu free of charge and additional laddus can be purchased at Rs 50 each.

Read also: No Aadhaar, no Laddus: Tirupati’s new twist to crack down on sweet cheaters

In 2014, the Tirupati Laddu was granted Geographical Indication (GI) status, which prevents others from marketing laddus under a similar name.

Clarified butter (ghee) and other ingredients

Premium ghee is the key ingredient in Tirupati laddus, along with eight other main ingredients: gram flour, sugar, small sugar cubes, cashews, cardamom, raisins and rice. The temple kitchen uses 400-500 kg of ghee, 750 kg of cashews, 500 kg of raisins and 200 kg of cardamom daily to produce laddus and other offerings.

According to The Indian Express, temple officials confirmed that ghee is procured every six months, with an annual requirement of around 500,000 kg. The procurement process involves online bidding, allowing multiple ghee suppliers to compete.

The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) team inspects suppliers to ensure hygiene and quality standards and rejects any substandard product. “If the ghee does not meet our criteria, it is rejected. From July 2022 to July 2023, TTD rejected at least 42 truckloads of substandard ghee,” said an official.

In recent years, after Amul expanded to Andhra Pradesh, it became the main supplier of temple ghee.

Quality control in the temple kitchen

The TTD has a state-of-the-art food testing laboratory to ensure the quality of each batch of laddu prepared at the temple. Each laddu weighs 175 grams and must contain the precise amount of cashews, sugar and cardamom to retain its GI status.

“All ingredients undergo strict quality checks before being used in the kitchen. We have around 600 expert cooks working in two shifts and producing up to 350,000 laddus a day, and up to 400,000 during special events,” said R. Srinivasulu, head of the temple kitchen, as quoted by the Indian Express.

For over two centuries, firewood has been used to prepare laddus. Moreover, samples of laddu are frequently sent to the National Institute of Nutrition in Hyderabad for further testing.