The Contentious History of the Rasgulla
From the gullies of Delhi to the streets of Toronto, the Rasgulla is a staple dessert that wins hearts wherever it goes. While the world can’t get enough of this sweet that’s been present in India for years, the history of Rasgulla is a contentious one, and not everyone agrees with it.
And it’s not just the Indians who fell in love with rasgulla, with various recreations famous at restaurants globally today. Famed British chef William Harold who arrived in India pre-independence, described it as a ‘bowl of sweet, syrupy, soft cheese balls.’
Humble Beginnings
According to learned Odisha scholars, the rasgulla’s origins can be traced back to Puri (a coastal city in Odisha) as khira mohana. It later evolved into the Pahala rasgulla. Initially, it was given as offerings to the goddess Lakshmi at the Jagannath Temple.
The folklore behind why this specific dish was given to Lakshmi has to do with her husband, Lord Jagannath. When Lord Jagannath goes on a nine-day yatra (journey) without Lakshmi’s consent, she becomes upset. In retaliation, she locks one of the main temple gates to prevent him from re-entering the main temple. To appease her and ask for her forgiveness, Lord Jagannath offers her rasgullas. It became known as the Bachanika ritual (to mark the return of the deities after the Rath Yatra)
The tradition is believed to have been around the 12th century, around the same time when many of the modern temples we see in South India were built.
From Religious Offerings to Mainstream Dish
While many scholars claim that the rasgulla became a mainstay temple offering from the 12th century onwards, it didn’t become a mainstream delicacy until much later. It became Pahala rasgulla around the 15th century after a village in Odisha (Pahala) became famed for turning its waste milk into rasgullas with the help of a priest.
The story goes that there were more cows than people in the small village of Pahala. With so much excess milk, they had no choice but to throw it out. A priest from Jagannath came across this site and decided to help them utilize it to make chhena (the main ingredient in rasgullas). This would become one of the biggest spots for rasgulla production in due time. The version produced here was harder than the rasgulla we see today, as it was baked.
According to scholars from Odisha, many cooks and chefs took the traditional recipe of rasgullas and spread it throughout Bengal. Since many homes employed chefs from Odisha, rasgullas naturally became a dessert that everyone in Bengal began to enjoy.
On the other hand, Bengali scholars have a different version of how rasgulla came into existence during the 19th century. Bengalis have believed that the dish came into existence with the help of a famed Kolkata-based confectioner, Nobin Chandra Das, in 1868. He came upon this sweet by trying different variations of chhena and semolina.
Another theory claims that rasgulla originated in Bengal, not through Nobin Das but Braja Moira. Many historians have claimed that various confectioners invented rasgulla, and while the identity of the confectioner is not certain, their belief that it began in Bengal is.
The Fight Between States Begins
The origins of rasgulla are contended by many historians, and the main issue is which state is the birthplace of this famed dessert. While the issue has been brewing over the years, it came to the forefront when the Indian government decided to hand out GI (Geographic Indicators) tags to the rasgulla. GI tags were initially created to comply with WTO conventions and enable products from specific regions to gain attention.
Since a GI tag ensures that no one other than authorized users within a geographical territory are allowed to market or sell their products with that particular name. In 2015, West Bengal was the first to apply for GI status for Banglar Rasogolla, subsequently accepted in 2017. It gave rise to a huge outcry from Odisha residents, and the government had to clarify that it didn’t stop Odisha from applying for its own GI tag for their variant.
In 2018, Odisha proceeded to apply for its own GI tag for Odisha Rasagola, which was accepted in 2019. However, this has still not stopped both state governments and residents of the states to stop claiming ownership of inventing rasgulla.
Just One Isn’t Enough
There’s no one name for rasgulla, and every place you go will have its own variation. After all, why have one when you can get multiple mini bundles of joy? The rasgulla has many variations, not just in India but also worldwide. Some popular variations include:
- White, juicy rasgullas from Kolkata (these are the rasgullas that are popularly found in confectionery shops, restaurants, and packaged variants)
- Reddish rasgullas that originated from Pahala
- An orange-flavored rasgulla known as Kamalabhog from West Bengal
- Bikali Kar from Cuttack, which is a reddish-orange color
- Bengali baked rasgullas
- Ishwar rasgulla from Kalahandi is orange in color
The Sweet Truce
While the issue of where the rasgulla originated from still rages on, many people believe that rasgulla from both Odisha and West Bengal differ fundamentally in color, form, and even taste, which makes them different varieties of the same dish.
Many confectionary shops in Odisha prefer to serve rasgullas hot, whereas, in most parts of India, West Bengal, and globally, rasgullas are served cold. Maybe the sweet was invented in Odisha, or maybe in Bengal, but the important thing is that we can enjoy it today. A lack of records makes it hard to figure out whether scholars from Odisha or West Bengal are correct in their theories.
Where’s The Rasgulla Today?
If there’s one thing you can take away from the illustrious history of the rasgulla, it’s this – no matter how much life squeezes out from you, staying true to your flavor and form isn’t so difficult after all. Rasgullas are not just a pan-Indian dish but a global dessert in its own right. A large part in popularizing rasgullas goes to Krishna Chandra Das, son of Nobin Chandra. He introduced vacuum packing to rasgullas, which extended its shelf life. A meal without dessert is like life without a happy ending. Everyone deserves one, and Krishna Das certainly agreed with us!
Many dish variations exist, and ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization) is even developing dehydrated rasgullas that can be served to astronauts in space!
It is a matter of pride and honor for a Bengali and Odissi when it comes to rasgullas, but that doesn’t have to be true for you. All you need to do is sit back and savor the unique taste of this dish that has been blessed even by the gods!