𝑾𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒇 𝑾𝒂𝒊𝒍 ( දුක් ගන්නා රාළ )

Kaum ( කැවුම් ) is an essential item in the Sinhalese New Year celebration. The people of yesteryears knew Kaum is not only a sweetmeat but can be turned into lifesaving drug too. Well before the western medicine identified the value and usefulness of Penicillin, people in this land knew about it and put to good use of it without calling the substance any particular name. The first Kauma made according to the auspicious time during the Sinhala New Year Celebrations time is dedicated to Fruit flys ( කොදුරු කැවුම ) and hung in the kitchen for days until the surface of it turns into light greenish. Fruit flies are essential in this transformation and with them, they bring in the Penicillium (ˌpɛnɪˈsɪliəm) ascomycetous fungi. The fungi grow on the surface of the Kauma and turning the dark brown colour of the surface of it into a light greenish in a few days’ time. Once that process is completed, the Kauma is then kept in a safe place and use as a First Aid, where all c...