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‘Mishti’ – a word that has become synonymous with Bengalis and has evolved since times immemorial. Bengalis are sweet lovers, which is evident in the way people go on dessert hopping on Kolkata, just as they are crazy about going pandal hopping during Durga Puja. Whether it is about a morning time snack with hot jalebis, dunking your finger into a lip-smacking bowl of Rasomalai after lunch or grabbing a Jalbhara after dinner, a meal without a dessert in the life of a Bengali is unimaginable. Not only does Kolkata revel in its mouth-watering array of traditional sweets like rasogollas, cham chams and nolen gurer sandesh to the modern variants like chocolate sandesh, mango souffle and baked rasogollas, but you also will not get enough of the varieties that are available in this city of joy. So take a glimpse of some of the innovative sweets you can savour on your gastronomic tour through Kolkata.
Gur Manohara
Manohara, the sugar-coated sweet stuffed with soft sandesh, is what makes this beguiling sweet of the British era a coveted dessert for the sweet-toothed Bongs. And when the coating is made with tempting patali or nolen gur, it tastes buds to a different world altogether. Take a bite of the hard gur coating and inside what you get is the soft gurer sandesh with a bigger surprise of melted gur flowing out as you gorge it further.
Baked sweets
Makar Sankranti in Kolkata is celebrated with Peethas and Patisaptas- baked sweets stuffed with sweet coconut fillings. Blending the tradition of baking with traditional sweets, the new variety of baked sweets comprises Baked Rasogollas, Baked Chamchams, Baked Rasogollas and even Baked Mishti Doi- a healthy twist sweet indulgence.
Ice cream sandesh
Under the scorching, perspiring heat of Kolkata, a dip into this fascinating range of ice cream sandesh will surely make you feel like being in Paradise. Two-in-one and Black current are the hot favourites with ice cream lovers who can savour strawberry, vanilla and black currant creams in cold sandesh- a perfect dessert for the summers.
Chocolate Chip and Chocolate Excess Sandesh
A hot favourite with kids, these sweet varieties are a delightful combination of chocolate and sandesh. So you get a whole range of chocolate sweets in Kolkata, whether with chocolate chips, melted chocolate inside the sandesh or even with an excess of chocolate- both inside and outside as in the Chocolate Excess.
Mangolava Sandesh
Mango lovers craving mangoes in the offseason will surely dote on this innovation from the world of Kolkata sweets. Bite on this scrumptious, soft sandesh, and you will feel the thick mango juice overflowing and overwhelming your mind- a must-have for any season for all the ‘Aam’ connoisseurs out there.
Souffles and Mousses
If you thought souffles and mousses are only found in cake shops and bakeries, Kolkata sweet joints would surprise you with souffles and mousses made with chhana and flavoured with chocolate or mango or orange- the fusion is mind-blowing and alluring to the core.
Malpua Cheesecake
A culinary delight and an out-of-the-world fusion sweet, the Malpua Cheesecake is a chhena based cheesecake. This is flavoured with star anise topped with traditional malpua, which lend it a seductive charm, a must-try for any sweet lover in Kolkata.
So the next time you go on your dessert pilgrimage in this city of gastronomic delights, do not forget to include these sweet varieties to mesmerize your taste buds with.
Satarupa B. Kaur has been writing professionally for a decade now. But, she is always on the go; she loves to travel, books, and playtime with her toddler as she explores new places and food!
