Makhana — the puffed seed of the prickly water-lily Euryale ferox — is Mithila’s signature crop and the third treasure of the proverb “Maachh, Paan, Makhaan”. Grown in the region’s many ponds, harvested by hand and popped over heat in a skilled, largely women-led craft, makhana is at once a fasting food, a festive sweet (makhana kheer) and, today, a globally marketed “superfood”.
The Mithila region produces roughly 90% of India’s makhana, and in 2022 Mithila Makhana received a Geographical Indication tag, recognising the districts of Darbhanga, Madhubani and their neighbours as its true home. From temple offerings to the bride’s Kojagara gift-basket, makhana threads through the rhythms of Maithil life.