Makhana grades explained: the Suta scale

If you are buying makhana, the first word you will meet is Suta. It is the traditional unit used to grade popped kernels by size, and it is the single most important line in a makhana specification.

What a Suta is

One Suta is roughly 3.175 mm, which is one eighth of an inch, so one inch equals eight Suta. A higher Suta number means a larger, more fully popped kernel, and larger kernels are more valuable.

The grades

Phool versus lava

Size is not the only axis. Phool makhana is fully popped, round, bright white and uniform, and is the premium snacking and export material. Lava makhana is smaller, irregular and often incompletely popped, with traces of dark seed coat. It is ground into flour or used in sweets and gravies rather than sold as whole kernels. Terminology is not used consistently across the trade, which is another reason to describe what you want rather than rely on a single label.

What to write in your specification

1. The Suta grade, or "processing grade" for flour.
2. A maximum for moisture, because moisture control prevents mould and rancidity.
3. A maximum for broken or immature kernels.
4. A colour requirement, for example bright white with minimal seed-coat residue.
5. Packing, for example bulk bags with a food-grade liner, or retail pouches.

The lower grades are not a quality problem to avoid. They are the right raw material for flour, namkeen and sweets, and using them well makes the whole harvest useful.

Read the overview in What is makhana?, or see every grade on the Makhana dossier.