How This Popular Bengali Sweet Was Invented By Accident?

No meal is ever complete without a dessert in India, and the spongy, syrup-soaked Rosogolla holds a special place in every sweet lover’s heart. However, did you know this beloved Bengali delicacy was actually created by accident? Despite its immense popularity and widespread availability, the origin of Rosogolla is as intriguing as its melt-in-the-mouth texture.

Origins of Rosogolla

In 2017, West Bengal won the Geographical Indication (GI) tag for Rosogolla, thereby finally establishing its origin within the state and ending a two-year battle with neighboring Odisha. While Bengal credits the sweet’s creation to Nabin Chandra Das in 1868, Odisha ties its roots to ancient temple rituals in Puri.

Nabin Chandra Das is a sweet maker from Kolkata who is credited with inventing Rosogolla. In his first attempts to boil chenna balls in sugar syrup, they disintegrated. After many trials, he added reetha, a natural foaming agent, to the balls, which gave them their characteristic spongy texture and allowed them to hold their shape. His creation gained popularity quickly, and Das shared his recipe with other sweet makers, which helped make Rosogolla famous.

Another version of the story gives the credit to Haradhan Moira, a sweet maker from Ranaghat, who allegedly let chenna balls fall into boiling syrup, thus inventing the sweet. By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, confectioners such as the Mullicks of Bhowanipore (later Balaram) and Chittaranjan Mistanna Bhandar perfected the recipe. In 1930, KC Das, son of Nabin Chandra Das, invented canned Rosogolla, which could be exported all over the world.

Odisha’s Claim to Rosogolla

While Bengal celebrates Rosogolla as its own, Odisha narrates a different story. Locally known as khira Mohana, the sweet has been offered to Goddess Lakshmi at Puri’s Jagannath Temple during Rath Yatra for centuries. Over time, regions like Pahala and Salepur developed their own unique versions of the dessert. In 2019, Odisha also secured a GI tag for “Odisha Rasagola,” acknowledging its cultural and historical significance.

Despite the debate over which is the original-Bengal-Odisha, the dessert has emerged as the common favorite with its derivative creations such as Rasmalai, Rajbhog, and Rasbari. No matter which term is used-Rosogolla, Roshogolla, or Rasgulla-the sweet indulges in many ceremonies.

Here’s how to make ‘Rosogolla’ at home

Ingredients

• 2 liters full cream milk
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 cup sugar
• 5 cups water
• 3 cardamom pods

Method

Step 1: Boil the milk in a large utensil, stirring occasionally not to burn it.
Step 2: Boil this mixture. Add lemon juice and stir until it curdles. Do not let it boil over.
Step 3: Separate the chenna through cloth from the curdled milk. Keep the remaining as whey for other preparations
Step 4: Rinse the chenna under fresh water. Drain excess water by hanging the chenna for 1 hour.
Step 5: Knead the chenna for 5 minutes in a smooth manner. Roll into even-sized balls gently.
Step 6: Boil sugar, water, and cardamom pods in a pan until the sugar dissolves.
Step 7: Add chenna balls to the syrup, cover, and let cook for 10 minutes.
Step 8: Let the Rosogolla settle in ice-cold water so that it remains soft.
Step 9: Serve cool with syrup poured over it.

Here’s the legendary Rosogolla, a sweet born of serendipity and perfected by tradition!