Kolkata: West Bengal has been awarded the GI (geographical indication) of Rossogolla or Rasgulla, a popular syrupywhite dessert, which the neighbouring state Odisha had been claiming for long that the milky product was invented it.Sources at Nabanna, the state secretariat, said the GI certification was awarded to the West Bengal declaring the state was the origin of Rossogolla.
Nobin Chandra Das, a resident of north of the then Calcutta, said to have invented Rossogolla in 1868. The spongy white sweetmeat is believed to have been introduced in present-day West Bengal in 1868 by a Kolkata-based confectioner - Nobin Chandra Das, whose successors still owned sweet shop in north Kolkata.
Odisha for long had been in war with Bengal for GI registration as it claimed the popular sweetmeat is daily offered to Lord Jagannath at the world famous Puri temple.
The GI certification war on Rossogolla, since 2015, between the two neighbouring states, caused delay in the decision making process.Rossogolla is a syrupy dessert popular in the Indian subcontinent and regions within South Asian diaspora. It is made from ball shaped dumplings of chhena (an Indian cottage cheese) and semolina dough, cooked in light syrup made of sugar. This is done until the syrup permeates the dumplings.
The Mamata Banerjee government after coming to power in 2011 has been making efforts for many products for GI certification, includingRossogolla, Sitabhog and Mihidhana." Sweet news for us all. We are very happy and proud that Bengal has been granted GI (Geographical Indication) status for Rossogolla," Ms Banerjee twitted from London after hearing the news. (UNI)