Even as spring slowly makes way for the scorching summer, Bengalis prepare for the arrival of the New Year on Poila Baisakh. With just four days to go, businessmen are getting ready to start a new hal khata, sweetshops are preparing for the New Year spread, clubs and cultural associations are busy rehearsing their programmes.
A visit to the popular sweet shops in Howrah revealed how they are preparing for bulk orders and rush of customers on Poila Baisakh. Keeping in mind the Bengali palate, owners and karigars are putting their heads together to wow their customers with innovative fusions. These will be available at the shops two or three days before Poila Baisakh.
Swapan Kundu, the karigar at Ghosh Sweets at Ramrajatala, is making a variety of sweets. “I make anything that comes to my mind. I get ideas while I work,” said Swapan. His Chhanar Paturi, will be a mix of chhana (cottage cheese), kheer and ghee, wrapped in banana leaves. Another creation, Badshah Bhog, is a mix of powdered Basmati rice, chhana and ghee that will be served in a cup. Swapan promises that the sweet will melt in the mouth. There is something for chocolate lovers too. There will be Cocoa Balls at Ghosh Sweets. Their Cadbury Chocolate Sandesh will have cashew and pistachio pieces mixed with melted chocolate in the centre. The Kaju Cream Sandesh will have a layer of milk cream and cashew and pistachio toppings.
Swapan has also put a health drink to use and has named the sweet Aamsatta Horlicks Sandesh. Kheer is mixed with the health drink after which the mixture is laid out on a tray full of Horlicks. A layer of aamsatta (mango pulp cake) is spread on top with a sprinkling of cashewnuts. Cubes of sandesh are then cut out. Many prefer fruit-flavoured sweets these days and at Ghosh, real fruits are being used to make the Pineapple Laddu. Pineapple pieces will be mixed with kheer, sugar and aamsatta. Cashewnuts fried in ghee are then mixed with these and the whole mixture is made into balls. All of these will be available at Ghosh Sweets, from two days before Poila Baisakh.
At Satyanarayan Mistanna Bhandar at Baksara Bazaar, the Strawberry Malai and Strawberry Sandesh are popular. “We have just introduced these two items and they are selling well. This Poila Baisakh, we will make these two sweets in larger quantities. Other than these, our Kaju Pista Sandesh is an all-time hit among residents of Baksara and neighbouring areas,” said Samir Bej of Satyanarayan Mistanna Bhandar. Strawberry Malai is a strawberry flavoured ras malai. A bite into the Strawberry Sandesh, however, will bring out a filling of melted chocolate in the centre of the sweet.
The Mother Sweets, opposite Kadamtala bus stand, will also have a plethora of new sweets to offer for Poila Baisakh. “We have all the traditional rasgulla and sandesh items that are popular all year round. However, for the festive season we have thought of some different items,” said Somenath Shau of The Mother Sweets. Named after a new ice cream in the market, Magnum is a chocolate ball sandesh sitting on top of a chamcham.
Mrinalini is a sandesh with cream topping that will look like a bunch of white flowers with a single red flower in the middle. Pista Bati, served in a plastic cup will have a small quantity of pistachio stuffed inside a chocolate ball. The Cadbury Barfi will be a three-layered sweet starting with plain sandesh at the bottom, followed by chocolate sandesh in the middle and a layer of chocolate on top. Keeping children in mind, Shau has thought of the Two-in-one Sandesh. “This sweet will have mango and vanilla flavours in two layers. It will be served in a plastic cup and while eating, it will melt like ice cream in the mouth. I think children will like it best,” said Shau. Mango Sandesh at The Mother Sweets has mango jelly at the centre of the sweet.
