Dry Ginger variety · Traditional cultivar
Maran
Also known as Maran cultivar, Moran Ada (Assam variant)
Indigenous to Kerala; documented also as local variant in Assam (Moran Ada, particularly Golaghat district) · Farmer selection/local landrace
High dry ginger suitability, pungent with high flavor, less fibrous. Ideal for oil and oleoresin extraction. Assam's Moran Ada notable for exceptionally high gingerol (27% in oleoresin), high oil content (≥2.80%), and oleoresin (≥10%). Zingiberene content ≥33.4%.
Key facts
| Type | Traditional cultivar |
|---|---|
| Origin | Indigenous to Kerala; documented also as local variant in Assam (Moran Ada, particularly Golaghat district) |
| Breeder / source | Farmer selection/local landrace |
| Parentage | Traditional selection |
| Yield | Preferred for dry ginger production; high-value market ginger |
| Tolerance | Resistance to rhizome rot and leaf spot reported; organically grown preferred |
| Distinctive features | Medium rhizome size, buff-colored skin, pungent, suitable for dry and fresh use, low fiber |
| Grown in | Kerala (traditional), Assam local variant (particularly Golaghat district), West Bengal |
| Also known as | Maran cultivar, Moran Ada (Assam variant) |
Figures are indicative, compiled from public agricultural sources (ICAR institutes, State Agricultural Universities, the Spices Board and the National Innovation Foundation) and vary with soil, season and management. Confirm with your local package of practices.
Maran in detail
Maran is a traditional ginger cultivar associated with Kerala and also grown as Moran Ada in Assam's Golaghat district, where it is known for high pungency and high volatile oil content suited to extraction.
Origin & story
The Assam name Moran Ada is linked to Moranhat in Upper Assam, a market town named after the indigenous Moran community, and the variety is reported to appear in Miles Bronson's 1867 Assamese dictionary. Maran and Moran Ada are farmer-selected landrace populations rather than formally bred varieties.
How it grows
Like ginger generally, Maran grows in warm, humid conditions: roughly 19-28 C, 70-90% humidity, with about 1320-1520 mm of well-distributed rainfall over an 8-9 month crop cycle. It does best in well-drained, humus-rich loams with a pH around 6.0-6.5. Dry recovery is reported at over 22%.
Quality & character
Medium rhizomes with buff to off-white skin, pungent and aromatic, and relatively low in fibre. Reported figures for Assam's Moran Ada include gingerol around 27% in oleoresin, volatile oil >=2.80%, oleoresin >=10%, zingiberene >=33.4%, and crude fibre >=8%, with a Scoville rating reported at about 106,750 SHU, placing it among the more pungent ginger types.
Why it matters to buyers
Low fibre and high pungency make Maran well suited to dry powder and oleoresin extraction. Its high gingerol content is of interest for food, flavour and ingredient uses where antioxidant properties are valued. Moran Ada is reported to attract premium interest for its pungency and oil profile.
About dry ginger
India grows dry ginger across regions from Kerala's monsoon tropics to Meghalaya's cloud forests, with varieties ranging from released ICAR cultivars bred for yield and oil content to landrace types named after their localities—each with distinct flavor, fiber, and disease profiles that shape both farmer returns and global export quality. The varieties…
Live market rate
Today's dry ginger price
See the latest dry ginger rate, daily range and recent trend from verified mandi & auction sources.
Other dry ginger varieties
From the Western Ghats
Buy clean, graded dry ginger from AroWest
AroWest is the spice & aromatics label of Western Crest Ventures LLP — hand-cleaned, sorted, sealed and traceable harvests from Idukki and the wider Western Ghats. Registered LLP · Udyam (MSME) · FSSAI · GST.