Sweet delights
Harun ur Rashid
For Bangalees no moments of merriment are complete without sweets. Treating sweets on occasion of getting good news has become a part of the lifestyle of people in this region. Occasions like settlement of marriage, birth of babies, getting a job or even visiting family friends and relatives always call for sweets in our culture. Apart from these private events, merry social and religious programmes also similarly necessitate the presence of sweetmeats. There is always a special place for sweets on the menu of people of our country during Eids, pujas, New Year celebrations, special national days like the Independence Day and the Victory Day.Eid-ul-Fitr is particularly the Eid of sweets. Different kinds of delicious sweetmeats are prepared in the household for guests as well as the family. After the one-month hard restraint of the senses, Eid-ul-Fitr is a perfect occasion for celebration and gaiety. And delicacies like shemai, payesh, jorda, various types of halua and other homemade items appease the joyful palate of people. On the Eid day, before going to the Eidgah for Eid prayers, a moderate course of shemai has an unavoidable charm. After the prayers, begins the real festival: people visit the houses of friends and relatives and exchange greetings. And everywhere sweets are a must item: the lachchha shemai dipped in sweetened milk, a layer of currant, grapes, cherries and strawberries on top of it. Besides these traditional items, some western sweet items like pudding, custard and icecream are also among the favourites of the urbanites. In villages, the scene is a little different: besides shemai and payesh, various types of pitha (cakes) add delicacy to the Eid day menu. Sweetmeats from the shops also have their places on the menu: rasogolla, kalojaam, chamcham, lalmohon, shandesh and many other sweets with curious names also have the similar power to satisfy the palate. Among these, the rasogolla is the most common and favourite sweetmeat. Different kinds of sweetmeats, especially from adjoining areas of the capital such as Savar, Manikganj and Tangail, offer a tantalising prospect for the gourmand. Some of the names of sweetmeats have come to be associated with the places where they are produced. Kachagolla of Natore, chamcham of Porabari, rasamalai of Comilla, monda of Muktagachha and balish of Netrokona are some of the mouthwatering delicacies. The rasogolla is of different kinds, with names-- kamolabhog, mohonbhog, dilbhog and rajbhog--that describe their salient special features. Another kind of rasogolla--sponge rasogolla--is a favourite because of its peculiar spongy texture. Shandesh items include pranhara, kalakand and balushai. Apart from these, curd, especially the sweet variety, is a must item on the menu for its digestive quality.
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An array of traditional sweets |
