By Ujjainee Roy
February 23, 2024
Bengal is famed for its rich cultural heritage and culinary traditions and boasts a delightful array of sweets that are deeply ingrained in the state's cultural fabric. From syrupy delights to creamy indulgences, Bengal's regional sweets are a testament to the state's rich culinary heritage. Let's explore some of them.
Sarpuria is a lesser-known sweet from the Krishnanagar region of West Bengal. Made from khoya and sugar, Sarpuria has a dense and fudgy texture and is flavored with cardamom and often garnished with nuts like almonds.
Mihidana is a beloved sweet originating from the town of Burdwan. These tiny, golden-yellow sweets are made from besan and sugar syrup. The batter is traditionally passed through a sieve to form small droplets, which are then deep-fried until crisp.
Image Credit: Unsplash
Kheer Kadam is a delectable Bengali sweet that consists of two layers—an outer layer made from khoa and coated with grated khoya, and an inner layer of creamy, sweetened khoa. The outer layer is often flavoured with cardamom or rose water and rolled in desiccated coconut.
Image Credit: Unsplash
Chandrapuli is a traditional sweet delicacy popular in the districts of Bardhaman and Hooghly. Khoya or mawa forms the base of Chandrapuli and grated coconut is mixed with khoya to add flavour and texture to the sweet filling.
Image Credit: Unsplash
The GI-tagged sweet originating from Joynagar is renowned for its unique taste, texture, and the meticulous process involved in its preparation. The key ingredient of Joynagar er Moya is khejur gud, which is jaggery made from the sap of date palm trees.
Image Credit: Unsplash
Lyangcha is a traditional Bengali sweet that hails from the region of Shaktigarh and resembles elongated doughnuts or churros. It is made from khoya and flour, deep-fried until golden brown, and then soaked in sugar syrup.
Image Credit: Unsplash
Chhanar Jilipi is a delectable sweet that is a variation of the popular Indian sweet, Jalebi, but with a unique twist—instead of using flour batter, Chhanar Jilipi is made with freshly prepared chhana or Indian cottage cheese.
Image Credit: Unsplash
Shor Bhaja is a unique sweet from Bardhaman, West Bengal. It is made by frying milk solids until they turn golden brown and crispy. The fried milk solids, called kheer or khowa, are then soaked in sugar syrup flavored with cardamom and rose water.
Image Credit: Unsplash