To suggest that Bengalis are naturally inclined towards sugar and a vast array of sweets would be an understatement. When we mention Bengali sweets, images of Sandesh, Roshogolla, and Chomchom likely pop into your head. However, these desserts share a similar ingredient—chhana, or fresh cheese—but their origins are a mystery.
Chaana: A Revolutionary
The Portuguese reportedly taught the Bengalis how to make sugar confections, which they have since elevated to a whole new level. It is said that they were the ones who first instructed Bengalis in the art of making cottage cheese and chaana, the two most essential components of any Bengali dessert.
Milk and flattened rice, or Dudh-chire, and milk and guard, or Dhudh-lau, were enough for Bengalis up to the 16th century. You can't think about Bengali sweets without picturing a sandesh; in fact, when you think of any sweet, you'll likely need chaana. Then, after learning how to create chaana, varieties of roshogollas and sandesh emerged.
Portuguese cottage cheese is essentially indistinguishable from Bengali chaana, and the Portuguese are largely responsible for facilitating the import of this cheese.
Cottage cheese, Bandel cheese, and Dhakai paneer are the three varieties of cheese that the Portuguese brought to Bengal. Bengali confections evolved from chaana in the 17th and 18th centuries, but urbanisation in the 18th century led to an increase in demand for more than dudh-lau. As a result, we started manufacturing raskara, moa, and ola, among other sweets.
The Hindu business line states that Bengalis are renowned for producing world-class sugar, starting with the highly sought-after gur that was originally named Gauda.
Sandesh was merely a hardened piece of sugar, according to the renowned Bengali littérateur Shankar. Many variants of the basic recipe have evolved during the five centuries since chaana was first used as the main component in the 18th century. Infused with seasonal fruits including jackfruit, almonds, sandalwood, lime, lemon, mango, watermelon, custard apple, sandalwood, and nolen gur (palm jaggery), this once basic white sandesh created from the initial batch of Portuguese-style pot cheese has now evolved into a multi-flavour delight.
So while we certainly know how to make food on our own even when brought from elsewhere, chaana, a game changer for Bengali sweets, was a gift to us from the Portuguese.
