Names used in Tamil Nadu
- Panneer Thratchai: used in Krishi Jagran, the BananaIP bulletin note and the registered GI name "Cumbum Panneer Thratchai". Thratchai is the spelling in the GI name.
- Panneer thiratchai: a variant spelling in FreshPlaza. Thratchai and thiratchai appear to be two English renderings of the same Tamil word.
- Paneer: used by DT Next and by Wikipedia, which says the grape is known locally as "Paneer" in Tamil Nadu.
- Muscat (Panneer): the entry in the TNAU Agritech Portal.
None of the pages we opened explains the meaning of "Panneer" or "Thratchai". We do not want to guess here. Transliteration from Tamil into English is not standardised, which is why one grape ends up with several spellings.
Names used outside India
The Wikipedia page for Black Muscat lists these names:
- Muscat of Hamburg, or Muscat Hamburg: the name used in the 2003 DNA paper and the Muscat family article.
- Golden Hamburg and Black Hamburg: listed as US names.
- Muscat de Hambourg: France.
- Moscato di Amburgo: Italy.
- Muscat Gamburgskiy: Russia.
- Snow's Seedling and Hampton Court Vine: other synonyms listed on the same page, which also says there are over 100 synonyms in total.
The word "Muscat" points to the grape family known for a strong floral aroma. "Hamburg" is the part that is harder to explain. The grape is credited to England, not Germany, and the pages we read do not say why Hamburg is in the name.
The Black Hamburg confusion
The Great British Vineyards page says the variety is called Black Hamburg in the US, and also describes the Hampton Court Great Vine as Schiava Grossa with the synonym Black Hamburg. Schiava Grossa is one of the parents of Muscat Hamburg according to the 2003 DNA study.
So the same name, Black Hamburg, appears attached to a parent grape and to its offspring in different places. For a careful writer, "Muscat Hamburg" is the less ambiguous name for the grape grown in Cumbum. This is our judgement from reading the pages, and the sources do not say it directly.
Names we could not confirm
You may see "Panner", "Pannir" or "Moscatel de Hamburgo" online. We did not find these spellings in any page we opened, so we cannot say how common or correct they are. We did not verify "Moscatel de Hamburgo" as an accepted name for this variety.
One FAO-hosted page lists Muscat Hamburg as "Gulabi" in India. We could not check how this name is used on the ground.
A practical guide
- For the product from Cumbum, use "Cumbum Panneer Thratchai" only when you mean the GI-registered name.
- For the grape variety in general, write "Panneer (Muscat Hamburg)".
- In English-language wine or botany writing, use "Muscat Hamburg" or "Muscat of Hamburg".
- Avoid "Black Hamburg" unless you explain which grape you mean.
Spelling should be consistent inside one document, even if the world is not.
Frequently asked questions
What is the correct spelling: Panneer or Paneer?
Both appear. The GI name uses "Panneer Thratchai". Wikipedia and DT Next also use "Paneer". No standard English spelling exists.
Is Black Hamburg the same as Muscat Hamburg?
Some sources use Black Hamburg as a synonym of Muscat Hamburg, while another uses it for Schiava Grossa. The use is not consistent.
What does Panneer mean?
The pages we opened do not explain it, so we do not offer a meaning.
Sources
- Black Muscat (Muscat of Hamburg) - Wikipedia
- Black Hamburg - Great British Vineyards Guide
- Crespan M. (2003), The parentage of Muscat of Hamburg, VITIS Journal of Grapevine Research
- Muscat (grape) - Wikipedia
- Tamil Nadu's Cumbum Grapes Secure Coveted GI Tag - Krishi Jagran
- Successful grape cultivation in India's Cumbum valley - FreshPlaza
- With market down, Cumbum 'Paneer' grape growers eye GI tag - DT Next (2020)
- Horticulture: Fruits: Grapes - TNAU Agritech Portal
- Cumbum Panneer Thratchai applied for GI - BananaIP news
- Grape Production in India - FAO