Kewra

Kewra, keora or kewda (Hindi: केवड़ा, Bengali: কেওড়া, Odia: କିଆ, Urdu: کیوڑہ‎, Punjabi: ਕੇਵੜਾ) is an essential oil distilled from the male flower of the fragrant screwpine. The plant is native to Tropical Asia, Southeast Asia and Australasia, and the oil is used as a flavoring agent throughout much of these regions.[1]

Bottle of Kewra

The flower is a vital ingredient in Kewara and is used in special-occasion dishes in South Asia, particularly those associated with Muslim communities.[2] Kewra flowers have a sweet, perfumed odour with a pleasant quality similar to rose flowers, but kewra is more fruity. The aqueous distillate (kewra water, pandanus flower water) is quite diluted.[3]

Approximately 95% of total kewra flower exported from India is collected from areas surrounding Berhampur city in Ganjam district.[4] The coastal areas of Chhatrapur, Rangeilunda, Patrapur and Chikiti are famous for their aromatic pandanus plantations. Arguably, flowers from coastal locales have an exquisite floral note that rival inland varieties with the most famous varieties being those endemic and cultivated in Gopalpur-on-Sea. Cultivation of kewra flower is a major source of income in Ganjam district and there are nearly 200 registered kewra distillation factories. Kewra is also used in traditional Indian perfumery, both as functional fragrance and in Ittar.