Why Sweets are such an integral part of Bengali Culture
- Ricesome
- Oct 6, 2023
- 4 min read
As soon as I got the idea for this article, I heard my mother's sarcastic voice in my head asking me, "You?! Writing about Sweets?".
Yup, as you might have understood, I am not fond of Indian sweets in general. I don't choose to eat them unless I am forced to at home or at weddings when they place 10 different sweets on your plate rapidly before you can even say, "Sir, I don't want sir!"
It's tough for me to write about something that I am not passionate about, but...I decided to take the assistance of my Bengali friend who infected me with his passion for Bengali sweets through his stories about the history and tradition of Bengal in sweetmaking. So, thank you Trayambak Chowdhury for helping me write this, and today, I am gonna share some interesting facts and stories about all things sweet of the beloved state of Gauda (An ancient name for a region of medieval Bengal kingdom)
From a recent chat with my friend, I realized that the role of sweets and sweetmaking is much more expansive and rooted in tradition than I had imagined. I mean...you hear from different people and on the internet that a specific state in India is famous for its sweets, but you never really try to find out why until you do and you say-
HISTORY LESSON!
Firstly, one of the major cities of Bengal got its name "Gauda" (now in Eastern India) from gur or jaggery, due to the vast number of sugarcane plantations present in this region at that time. This region was under the rule of King Shashanka during medieval times. The name of the region itself signifies the importance of sugar even in ancient days. Bengali sweets are really popular for their use of Chhena or cottage cheese. But, this chhena was introduced in the 16th century by the Portuguese. Before this, curdling milk was considered to be taboo. Even still in some regions and in some practices in Bengal, sweets made from curdled milk are not offered to deities during rituals and poojas. According to GetBengal, "Till the 16th century, Bengal was satisfied with simple dudh-chire (milk and flattened rice), dudh-lau (milk and gourd) and monda." Kalakand is a sweet that is present in almost every offering to the gods and goddesses.
An interesting ingredient that is unique to this state is "Nolen Gur", which is a sweet date palm jaggery that is obtained from the bark of the date palm tree. This sap is only collected during winter and is used widely in making sweets at that time of the year. Nolen Gur is the first fetch collected from the date palm tree and is considered to be of superior quality. The sap is boiled for a long time until it turns into an amber-red color and is sold in large earthen pots.
Sweets are a must for any kind of occasion in West Bengal. My friend insists on me explaining that irrespective of any kind of event that takes place in Bengal, sweets are mandatory, and oftentimes they are presented in huge mounds in such a way that displays the grandeur of the event. At weddings, it is customary to exchange gifts between the families of the bride and groom and these gifts consist of many things such as clothing, toiletries, accessories, a whole fish and of course sweets such as a handi filled with rasgullas. (can you imagine that?)
I don't know whether you follow news religiously or the "necessary" ones reach you automatically, but you might have heard about the war between West Bengal and Odisha for the claim of the GI tag of Rasagulla. A GI (Geographical Indication) tag is an important identification mark that a product receives which ties its authenticity down to a certain place. It prevents people from selling that particular product outside of that specific place, which is a way of protecting trade and preventing fake copies.
According to The IPThink-Tank, a product with a GI tag is considered exotic and its price is increased in the international market. It boosts exports and tourism and also leads to sustainable development of that particular place.
The battle between the two states started way back in 2015 when Odisha claimed the GI tag of Rasgulla, but it became much more heated when the tag was given to West Bengal for 'Banglar Rasagulla'. In 2019, Odisha received its tag for 'Odisha Rasagulla' after a heated debate. So officially, the registry recognizes that there are two different kinds of rasagullas from these two states. These two sweets are different in textures- the one from the Odisha is much softer compared to the Bengali rasagulla which is chewier, and the origins of both these sweets are completely different.
It is said that the legendary sweet maker, Nobin Chandra Das, invented Rasagulla in 1868 after boiling well-kneaded chhena balls in sugar syrup. After multiple trial and error attempts, he was able to make rasagulla without breaking its structure and he taught the art of making the sweet to his fellow sweet makers. Odisha's rasagulla is said to have been given to the gods as an offering at the famous Puri Jagannath Temple since the 12th century. Although, the government of Odisha hasn't been able to provide substantial evidence to prove this claim.
All in all, both rasagullas are different in texture, taste, and history. We can enjoy either one of them or both. The GI tag is given to both states for their specific style of making the sweet. No need to stress, there is enough room for both of them in this world.
Every time I decide to write about something related to food in this country, I am equally surprised by the amount of innovations we made as I am about the history and traditions. There are stories and facts that are yet to be unearthed, fought for and told to the outside world. I shied away from learning the sweet-making culture in West Bengal for a long time, but because of my dear friend's storytelling capabilities, I am even more interested in learning and sharing. I will see if I can get another opportunity to share more about Bengal's passion for sweets and its storytelling.
But before that make sure you follow Trayambak on Instagram (@trayambak_chowdhury) and also visit his semi-live bakery in Kolkata "Cannoncini Confectioner's" and support him there!
That's it for this time.
See you next week!
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