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'Nolen gur ', which means ‘new jaggery’ in Bengali, occupies the top and premium spot. Ritualistically, this is the jaggery extracted from the sap of date palm obtained from date palm tree. Scores of people are employed to yield this gur that is available from around November to January-end. This liquid jaggery, available for an even smaller time window, is essentially a dense, brown liquid with a luminous shine. It can be used to sweeten a variety of desserts. As per many Bengal confectioners and sweet makers, nolen gur is the best accessory of a dessert. This is perhaps why the nolen gur versions of typical desserts like sandesh and roshogolla are often priced more in comparison to sweets made with ‘cheeni’ or sugar. Nolen gur is the gift that keeps on giving. Come winter, this ingredient becomes a staple in almost every Bengali kitchen and dessert store. Making traditional mishti with nolen gur is really popular; from nolen gur rosogolla to pithe and nolen gur payesh, foodies in the city simply can't get enough options. Here’s a list of the best sweet shops where you can get your hands on nolen gur desserts in Kolkata:
Balaram Mullick & Radharaman Mullick
Balaram Mullik & Radharam Mullik, a legendary sweet shop in Kolkata, has been serving traditional Bengali sweets since 1885. Known for its baked rasogolla, daab sandesh, and mango soufflé, the shop is famous for its high-quality ingredients and innovative offerings. During the winters, they offer a handful of nolen gur desserts, which sell out within minutes. The shop's best offerings are nolen gurer paturi sandesh, a dessert that was formerly a fabled Bengali dish. It has a banana leaf wrapped with chena, roshogolla, and rabri. After that, you can try the popular Bengali sweet delicacy nolen gurer chamcham, which is made of soft cottage cheese dipped in nolen gur malai. Finally, you can taste nolen gur er kachagolla, which is a very soft sandesh made from half-cooked cottage cheese and nolen gur that melts in your mouth.
Address: 2, Paddapukur Rd, Jadubabur Bazar, Bhowanipore, Kolkata, West Bengal 700020
Timings: 7 AM - 11 PM
Cost: INR 250 for two
Image Credit: Balram Mullick & Radharaman Mullick
Pabrai’s
Nolen gur ice cream is one of the biggest favourites with Kolkata’s foodies. Funnily enough, nolen gur remains a winter delicacy, whereas ice cream is largely consumed in summer. However, this nolen gur ice cream is a go-to dessert option in the city. Pabrai’s version has a subtle, smoky sweetness which is found in nolen gur sweets. The flavouring is subtle and yet quite seamless, and it works like a great palate cleanser too! Kolkatans have a special place in their hearts for nolen gur ice cream. The flavour became so popular that it was even nominated as one of the 7 best sweet dishes in Asia. The ice cream shop in Kolkata also offers a sorbet line, a sugar-free flavour for diabetics, and an anticipated vegan ice cream line. The fact that they don't leave any aftertaste is the finest part. What began as a centre for ice cream in Kolkata has since expanded to Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, Ahmedabad, Delhi, Mumbai, and even Indore.
Address: 28, Sarat Bose Rd, Chakraberia, Rafiganj, Kolkata, West Bengal 700020
Timings: 10 AM - 1 AM
Cost: INR 200 for two
Image Credit: Pabrai's
Mouchak
The famous sweet shop has an entire section dedicated to nolen gur sweets. One of their most noteworthy creation is the nolen gur jolbhora, which is a soft sandesh with a centre filled with gooey gur. However, all Bengalis will root for the nolen gur rohsogolla, which are syrupy, sweet and have the perfect spongy texture. You can also check out their gur bati and nolen gur er malai chom chom. Mouchak might not be that old, but it serves all those traditional Bengali sweets that you might have never heard of. So if you come to Gariahat Road for shopping, you must taste the sweets of this shop. Although you will also get to eat many types of snacks, the variety of sandesh here is fantastic.
Address: 17, Gariahat Rd, Dhakuria, Selimpur, Kolkata, West Bengal 700031
Timings: 8 AM - 10 PM
Cost: INR 100 for two
Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons
K.C. Das
One of the most iconic mishti brands in the city, K.C. Das has a legacy of more than 150 years; the sweet shop is best known for its rosogollas, and their nolen gur rosogollas are perfect and hearty. It has a remarkable sponginess, and it’s quite syrupy. It tends to be sweeter than other nolen gur desserts, as the sweets are dipped in syrup for a long time so they can absorb the flavour. While you’re there, don’t forget to try their rossomalai, chamcham, lalmohan, misti doi and kesar raj bhog. Their iconic red canned roshogollas are perfect for travelling; carry them anywhere you want without worrying about spillage. And a menu that serves up excellent luchi alur dom, peas kochuri (when in season), rossomalai and mango lassi.
Address: 11A&B, Central Ave, Esplanade, Chowringhee North, Bow Barracks, Kolkata, West Bengal 700069
Timings: 9 AM - 11 PM
Cost: INR 100 for two
Image Credit: K.C. Das
Jugal’s
The beloved sweet shop at Desapriya Park is one of the most underrated sweet spots in the city. Jugal’s explores different ways of using nolen gur in their winter special menu. Their roHsogolla remains their biggest seller thanks to its signature taste. However, their norom pak and gur er baati are widely popular with foodies who want something truly decadent. The store opened its doors in 1923 and is renowned for its premium products and time-honoured recipes that have been handed down through the years. The mishti doi is unique since it is made using superior buffalo milk and cane sugar and is slow-cooked for a period of 10 hours. You should try it because of its silky texture, thick layer of malai, and natural orange tint. Other desserts include chanar jilipi, milk cake, roshkodom, kesar sandesh, danadar, pranohara, and jolbhora sandesh.
Address: 212, KMC Mode, Shop No. A10, Gariahat Market Complex, Rash Behari Avenue Rd, Ballygunge Gardens, Gariahat, Kolkata, West Bengal 700019
Timings: 10 AM - 9 PM
Cost: INR 100 for two
Image Credit: Jugal's
