বাংলায় পড়ুন
It’s irreversibly winter and Bengalis, although highly reluctant to get out of their beds, have no complaints when it comes to gorge on the seasonal delight- sweets made of nolen gur( date palm jaggery). Its production and commercial implementation dates back to centuries but the essence has remained intact, both in taste and among the cobwebs of Bengali nostalgia.
Nolen gur is obtained from the sap of palm trees, which is secreted mainly during the Bengali months of Poush and Aghraayan. This brevity makes it even more popular among sweet aficionados. The extracted sap is boiled in huge cauldrons for making the molasses, which is formed only after the juice is boiled to the extent of thickness and then cooled down to suit the different consistencies, viz., jhola gur, the glutinous, liquid form and patali gur, the solid form. After being organically processed, the confectioners take this principal ingredient to a whole new level, which results in an array of sweets. From the inimitable gur er roshogolla, gur er taalshaansh, gur er jolbhora to gur er ice-cream and gur er doi, stores like Balaram Mullick and Radharaman Mullick and K.C. Dass pioneer the availability of top-quality and authentic nolen gur desserts to the masses.
Even in Bengali households nolen gur is used to mark the pithe-parbon, the indigenous fest of winter. The culinary skills of maa-pishi culminate into ethereally tasting patishapta, puli pithe, payesh and other wonders.
Indeed, nolen gur is synonymous to winter, for every salivating soul out there.
