When the Bengali on the street wants to refresh with some ‘cha-ta’, what he/she means by the ‘ta’ is often local bakery biscuits. In Kolkata, these biscuits are the unsung heroes of every tea stall. They are crumbly and textured, sometimes a little too sweet and mysteriously resistant to expiry dates. Whether it’s the nostalgic Projapoti biscuit or the iconic jeera wonder, these biscuits aren’t just for dunking in cha — they dive in, soak up stories from countless adda sessions, and leave crumbs of joy behind. My Kolkata pays a tribute to Kolkata’s own tea-shop biscuits.
Projapoti biscuit — nostalgia in every bite
Looking like a cousin of Little Hearts, the projapoti biscuit is Kolkata’s very own sweet-winged wonder. Flaky, buttery, subtly sweet and oddly comforting — this biscuit is a ritual.
Sandesh biscuit — the dessert that became a biscuit
Imagine if sandesh and a cookie had a baby — this is it. Textured like a nankhatai with a surprise hint of salt, the sandesh biscuit is dessert pretending to be a tea-time snack. Pro tip: Finish your tea before you eat this, or it may out-sweeten your cha.
Badam biscuit — nutty happiness
This one’s got bits of peanuts, a rustic charm, and just enough sweetness to get you through a long day or a long gossip session. Dunk gently — it breaks faster than your resolve on a cheat day.
Jeera biscuit — the cumin comrade
Jeera biscuits don’t try too hard — and that’s their charm. Square-shaped, lightly sprinkled with whole cumin, they walk the fine line between savoury and sweet. Perfect with a milky cup of doodh cha, they’re the biscuit equivalent of background music — never stealing the show, always setting the mood.
Lambu — the misnamed marvel
Nobody knows why it’s called Lambu (long) when it’s perfectly round — but who cares? This dry, layered, flaky biscuit is all about the texture. Dip it in hot tea, let it soak, then enjoy the crumble. It’s a biscuit with a tea-dunk timer.
Toast — the warrior
Colloquially just called toast, this rock-solid biscuit means serious business. Hard, dry, and nearly tasteless on its own — it’s built to absorb. Dunk it in milky tea and it transforms like a Bollywood hero mid-film. Not for amateurs.
Coin — the people pleaser
This light crumble cookie can any day run the contest to become Kolkata’s ambassador for cookies. Melts in the mouth and a perfect accompaniment for the perfect ghono doodh cha.