The picturesque Gholvad village, located along the coastal highway leading to Dahanu in Maharashtra"s Palghar district, produces chikoo or sapota with a sweet and grainy pulp and a melt-in-the-mouth texture unique to the region. Along with Dahanu, Gholvad produces over 500 tonnes of chikoo annually with a per-acre yield of around 8 tonnes or 8,000 kg. The local economy thrives largely on sapota plantations, which support employment in agriculture, trade, processing, packaging, transportation, and the burgeoning trend of agro-tourism. Also Read: Panruti: The jackfruit capital of India The history of chikoo farming in Gholvad Commercial chikoo cultivation in Gholvad dates back to 1888, pioneered by the Zoroastrians. A sapota sapling was brought to the region by Parsi entrepreneur Sir Dinshaw Petit from the rainforests of South America. Due to limited space in his home garden, he asked his friend Ardeshir Irani, who lived in Gholvad, to plant the sapling. The plant adapted well to the coastal climate, and the plantation thrived until a storm eventually uprooted it. Later, a local farmer named Merwan Khodadad successfully grafted the chikoo onto the resilient Rayan (Rhyne) tree. With its stronger roots, the tree began producing abundant, sweet brown chikoos throughout the year, ultimately contributing to the region"s economic growth. Dahanu Gholvad Chikoo has granular pulp and high calcium content. Pic: Flickr Today, the Gholvad chikoo orchards mostly have the traditional Kalipatti variety grafted onto Khirni or Rayan rootstock, alongside Bhuripatti, Chhatri, Culcutta round, Pala, and Cricket Ball varieties. The region"s picturesque chikoo orchards have led to a variety of innovative products like chikoo wine, chips, pickles, powder, rolls, katri, kandi peda, and mahim halwa. Also Read: Chennai"s urban farmer sets up low-cost microgreens unit; earns Rs 1 lakh monthly The tree's bark is used for tonic preparation and as a febrifuge, while the sap contributes to chicle, an ingredient in chewing gum. It is a lucrative, high-income crop cultivated with organic farming throughout the year. Chikoo orchard in Gholvad. Pic: Flickr Uniqueness and GI tag The Gholvad Sapota has been granted a Geographical Indication or GI tag, recognizing its unique characteristics and place of origin. The sweet taste of Dahanu Gholvad chikoo is attributed to the calcium-rich soil, abundant sunlight, and humid weather conditions. The calcium-rich soil of Gholvad is believed to contribute to the fruit's distinctive sweet taste. Dahanu Gholvad chikoo is sold in the domestic and international markets. This high-yielding variety gives over 2,000 fruits per tree, surpassing other varieties that produce between 1,000 and 2,000 fruits per tree. With its appealing light brown colour, round shape, medium size, and smooth, granular pulp, Dahanu Gholvad chikoo is heavier and typically contains two to three seeds. It boasts high nutritional value, high fruit sugar content, and is rich in calcium and fibre. With a high ascorbic acid content of 25.15 percent, it has a shelf life of four to five days. Also Read: Kachai: The lemon village of India Look up our YouTube Channel