Litti-Chokha (Bihar/Jharkhand; Bhojpuri–Magahi belt)

What it is & why it’s distinctive

• Litti = whole-wheat balls stuffed with sattu (roasted Bengal-gram flour), traditionally fire-roasted and drenched in ghee; eaten with chokha (smoked eggplant/potato/tomato mash in mustard oil). Strong, smoky mustard-oil profile is the hallmark of the region
  
• GI status: a formal Geographical Indication application for “Litti Chokha” has been filed (Application No. 1499; “Litti Chokha Utpadak Samit,” Bhojpur)
  

Quality benchmarks (inputs)

• Sattu (Roasted Bengal-gram flour) – FSSAI standard: moisture ≤ 8.0%; crude protein (N×6.25) ≥ 20% (dry basis); acid-insoluble ash ≤ 0.5%; 100% through 35-mesh. This is the core of litti’s filling and a controllable quality lever.
  

Export-readiness & data

• Litti-Chokha ships best as Ready-to-Eat/Ready-to-Cook (RTE/RTC) meals (frozen or retort-pouched). India’s broader RTE/RTC/RTS exports exceeded $2 billion in 2020-21, with strong growth momentum thereafter—useful umbrella demand for regional SKUs like litti-chokha.
  
• Many Indian ethnic RTE foods export under HS 2106 (“Food preparations, n.e.s.”); India exported ~$708 million of HS-2106 in 2023 (trend indicator for “other edible preparations,” including ethnic ready foods).
  
• Packaging tech: retort pouches/containers are recognized by FSSAI as high-temperature laminates used to make shelf-stable foods—key to litti-chokha’s export logistics without a cold chain.
  

Regulatory/compliance notes (exports)

• For short shelf-life packs, follow FSSAI labelling for manufacture/“best before” dating; for e-commerce/quick commerce, see the minimum remaining shelf-life directives.
  
• If exporting frozen versions, most buyers classify in prepared foods categories (often HS 2106/others depending on formulation). Shipment databases show Indian “ready-to-eat” foods frequently coded 21069099.
  

Why it’s regionally strong

• Ingredient identity (Bihari chana sattu), mustard-oil chokha, and the charred/wood-smoked technique are specific to the Bhojpuri/Magahi foodway—giving a clear origin story to market.
  

Maner (Sharif), Patna – Khoa-based sweets

What it is & why it’s distinctive

• Maner (aka Maner Sharif) near Patna is famous for “Maner ke Laddoo”, widely described as a local variant of motichoor/boondi laddoo made with desi ghee; the town is a known pilgrimage & food stop. (No GI yet, unlike Silao Khaja which is GI-tagged.)
  

Quality benchmarks (core ingredient: Khoa/Khoya)

• FSSAI “Standard for Khoa” (milk solids base for many sweets):
  – Total solids ≥ 55%; milk fat ≥ 30% on dry-matter basis; total ash ≤ 6%; titratable acidity ≤ 0.9%; no added starch/sugar. These are the reference specs for khoa quality control in laddoo/khoya sweets.
  
• Shelf-life guidance: FSSAI’s milk-products guidance lists Boondi Ladoo & Khoya sweets under “medium short-life ~4 days” (fresh, ambient); export therefore requires freezing, MAP/vacuum + cold chain, or retortization to extend life.
  
• Testing methods (moisture, fat, starch in khoa) are codified in FSSAI’s “Manual of Methods – Milk & Milk Products.”
  

Export-readiness & data

• Indian milk-based/ethnic sweets commonly clear under HS 2106 in key markets; U.S. Customs has ruled milk sweets (e.g., chamcham, gajar halwa) under 2106.90.82 (contains >10% milk solids), which is a useful classification analogue for khoa-heavy products.
  
• Shipment databases show “Ladoo” exports using HS 21069099 to diaspora markets (e.g., U.S., UAE, Poland). Though niche versus namkeen/savouries, this evidences a consistent demand channel.
  
• At the macro level, India’s exports of HS-2106 (“other edible preparations”) provide the headroom (see $708 m in 2023).
  

Why it’s regionally strong

• Place association: Maner’s food lore around the dargah route sustains brand equity (“Maner ke Laddoo”). It complements Bihar’s broader GI-heritage (e.g., Silao Khaja already GI-tagged), helping a Bihar sweets assortment strategy.

Practical playbook

Positioning

• Lead with origin (Bihar/Bhojpur; Maner) + ingredient specs (FSSAI sattu/khoa standards) to reassure buyers on quality compliance and authenticity.
  

Formats for export

• Frozen (for laddoo & litti), or retort/MAP for ambient RTE (litti-chokha kits with chokha pouches). Retort is explicitly recognized by FSSAI for shelf-stable foods.
  

Labelling & shelf-life

• Ensure FSSAI labelling rules (date coding for short shelf-life foods; best-before rules) and maintain minimum remaining shelf-life for e-commerce.
  

HS codes (indicative)

• Often HS 2106/21069099 for Indian sweets/RTE packs (final code depends on recipe—milk solids %, sugar %, etc.). Use prior rulings (e.g., 2106.90.82 for milk sweets in the U.S.) to guide tariff classification conversations with importers.
  

Demand signalsIndia’s growth in RTE/RTC exports and steady diaspora demand for ethnic sweets underpin this category; aggregate data show sustained trade in HS-2106 and RTE items.