How raisins (kishmish) are graded

There is no single national grade chart that every Indian raisin trader uses. Grades are agreed between buyer and seller and are usually described by a mix of colour, size, shape and cleanliness, sometimes with trade labels such as A, AA or AAA, or “No. 1 / No. 2”. What matters is that the description on the quote matches the lot you receive.

1. Variety and colour

Lots are first sorted by type and colour — green, yellow, golden, brown or black. A premium lot looks uniform: berries of one shade, without a scatter of dark or pale ones. Mixed shades are acceptable in bakery and processing grades.

2. Size and shape

Long and round berries are kept apart, then sorted by size. Larger, even, plump berries make the top grades; small, thin or uneven berries go into lower grades. Ask for berry size or count per 100 g if you need a precise spec.

3. Cleanliness

Good lots are cleaned of stems, caps (the small stalk ends), dust, grit, stones and broken or damaged berries. Look for these first when you open a carton.

4. Moisture and feel

Raisins should be soft and pliable but not sticky-wet. Very dry raisins feel hard; too much moisture leads to clumping and spoilage in storage. If your market has a moisture limit, ask for a lab test of the lot.

5. Taste and smell

A clean, sweet grape taste. Reject lots with fermented, sour or musty notes.

6. Packing and labelling

Bulk raisins are usually packed in cartons with food-grade liners; retail lots in pouches. Each carton should be labelled with variety, grade and lot so you can trace it.

How to compare two lots

1. Take a handful from the top, middle and bottom of a carton.
2. Check colour uniformity and berry size side by side.
3. Count stems, caps and broken berries in a fixed weight.
4. Squeeze a few berries — soft and springy is good; sticky or hard is not.
5. Taste and smell.

At our Vijayapura factory we grade by these same checks and state the variety and grade on every quote. See our raisin varieties or the bulk buying checklist.

Get a raisin quote on WhatsApp Enquiry form