--- title: "Red-ant chutney across India gets multiple names" url: https://projectchintan.com/article/regional-names-red-ant-chutney-india-w33lt publisher: Project Chintan author: Project Chintan Newsroom section: Society published: 2026-09-08T12:00:44.409Z modified: 2026-09-08T14:00:03.408Z language: en-IN --- # Red-ant chutney across India gets multiple names Gordon Ramsay highlighted a traditional red-ant chutney in Jharkhand, bringing attention to regional names and uses of the red weaver ant across eastern, central and northeastern India. The same species is linked to varied recipes and cultural meanings in several states. ## Key takeaways - Gordon Ramsay’s 2026 tasting video raised awareness of red-ant chutney and its regional diversity. - The red weaver ant, Oecophylla smaragdina, is used in chutneys across Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal and Odisha, among other areas. - Local names for the chutney vary by region: Hau/Demta (Jharkhand), Chapda/Chapura (Chhattisgarh), Kurkut (West Bengal), Kai (Odisha). - Kai Chutney in Mayurbhanj, Odisha, is a GI-registered product since January 2024, with Similipal Kai Chutney as the listed product and Mayurbhanj Kai Society Limited as the applicant. - Ethnographic and ecological sources corroborate the cultural and subsistence role of red-ant consumption in multiple districts. ## What Happened The Better India reports that in June 2026, Jharkhand Tourism shared a social-media clip of Gordon Ramsay tasting the state’s red-ant chutney, which Ramsay described as “absolutely delicious.” The article notes the red weaver ant, Oecophylla smaragdina, is used in different local culinary traditions across multiple eastern, central and northeastern Indian communities. In Jharkhand, the chutney goes by names such as Hau or Demta in certain communities, with production involving ants and their eggs collected from tree nests and combined with ingredients like chillies, salt, garlic, ginger and coriander. The chutney is eaten with everyday foods, including maaru-bhaat, puffed rice and vegetables. In Chhattisgarh’s Bastar region, the preparation is known by names such as Chapda, Chhapra or Chapura and is strongly associated with Gond communities. In Bengal, the local name is Kurkut in Jhargram, West Bengal, where ethnographic work documented the practice of collecting and using red ants since the 1990s. In Mayurbhanj, Odisha, the ant is called Kai and the chutney Kai Chutney has gained formal recognition through a Geographical Indication registration dated 2 January 2024, listing Similipal Kai Chutney of Odisha as the registered product and the Mayurbhanj Kai Society Limited as the applicant. Beyond fresh preparations, regional studies describe how sometimes the ants and larvae are roasted, eaten with rice, or fried with salt, chillies, spices and mustard oil. Odisha and neighboring districts along the forested belt are cited for ant consumption in various contexts, including medicinal use and as a potential market product. The piece emphasizes that what appears to be a single dish actually represents a network of regional food traditions shaped by forests, seasons and local knowledge, with each locality attaching its own name and method to the same insect species. ## Why It Matters The article situates red-ant chutney as a long-standing element of Indigenous diets rather than a novelty. It links culinary practice to regional identity, forest ecology, and traditional knowledge, illustrating how a single species is embedded in multiple cultural and economic contexts—from subsistence food and medicinal use to potential commercial products and protected status through GI recognition in Odisha. ## Background Historical accounts cited in the piece show a spread of red-ant consumption across states in eastern and central India, including Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and West Bengal. Studies referenced include a 2020 investigation of Kurkut in Jhargram and a 2024 Nature journal review on ethno-entomophagy and its therapeutics in India, which notes widespread ant consumption among tribal communities in Chhattisgarh and other districts of Odisha. The article also mentions a long-standing documentary record of local collection and preparation methods dating back to at least the 1990s in parts of West Bengal. ## Key Facts - The red weaver ant, Oecophylla smaragdina, is the species used for red-ant chutney across several Indian regions. - In Jharkhand, chutney is known as Hau or Demta in some communities; ants and their eggs are used with spices and aromatics. - In Bastar, Chhattisgarh, chutney is known as Chapda, Chhapra or Chapura and is linked to Gond communities. - In Jhargram, West Bengal, the ant is called Kurkut and has documented traditional use since the 1990s. - In Mayurbhanj, Odisha, the ant is called Kai, and Kai Chutney has GI protection registered on 2 January 2024, with Similipal Kai Chutney of Odisha listed as the registered product and Mayurbhanj Kai Society Limited as the applicant. - Gordon Ramsay’s June 2026 tasting video brought renewed attention to the dish. - The same ant species is reported to be eaten roasted, with rice, or fried with salt and spices in various districts of Odisha and surrounding areas. ## What Happens Next The report notes continued regional variation in names and preparations, with potential for further exploration of ethnobotanical and ethno-entomophagic practices. The GI registration for Kai Chutney in Odisha indicates formal recognition of a regional product, which could influence marketing and protection of traditional knowledge linked to Kai and related chutneys. --- Canonical: https://projectchintan.com/article/regional-names-red-ant-chutney-india-w33lt Reported from: Multiple Sources