History of Bengali Sandesh | Know your Shondesh before eating it

I told myself to "Know your Shondesh" while writing this blog! Banglar Rosogolla has a GI tag, but Shondesh does not have one yet. Is it possible that Shondesh's history isn't as pleasant as Rosogolla's? What are your thoughts? I believe if Rosogolla is the top Bengali sweet, then Shondesh is definitely the best.

Jump to:

• Know your Shondesh
• The initial days of Shondesh!
• Famous Shondesh types
• A few famous Shondesh Shops and the Inventors!
• Late Paran Nag and Jonaier Monohara followed by the birth of Bhim Chandra Nag!
• Bhola Moira followed by Nabin Chandra Das
• Surjo Modok and Jalbhora Talsansh
• Kalidas Modak
• Girish Chandra De and Nakur Chandra Nandi, the Father-in-law - Son-in-law pair
• Makhan Lal Das
• Dwarik
• Sen Mahashoy
• Adhar Mishtanna Bhandar
• Balaram Mallik and Radharaman Mallik, the brothers
• How about making Shondesh at home!
• How do you like Know your Shondesh blog post from Debjanir Rannaghar!

Since I've talked about the king and queen, what about the people who made them?

Sweet makers. Before I continue, I'd like to share some words from the well-known Bengali poet and sweet maker Bholanath Das. What better way to introduce Shondesh than with a song written by a famous Shondesh maker - the finest "Moira"of his time?

শীতে ভাজি মুড়ি খই; গম্মি কালে ঘোল মই
বারো মাস ভিয়াই সন্দেশে।
খাইতে ভোলার গোল্লা ফিরিঙ্গি এন্টোনি মোল্লা
হল্লা করে তাল্লা দিয়া বসে।।
নহি কবি কালিদাস; বাগবাজারে করি বাস।
পুজো হলে পুরি মিঠাই ভাজি।।
বসন্তের কুহু শুনে ভক্তির চন্দন সনে
কৃষ্ণ পদে মন ফুল সাজি।।

This poem accurately describes the life of a Bengali sweet maker. It also highlights the famous competition between Bhola Moira and Antoni Firingi.

Know your Shondesh

We all know Shondesh is a popular Bengali sweet, usually made with Chana, but not always. Did you know it can also be made with Kheer? Kheer-er Sondesh is equally popular. In fact, that's what was originally used to make Shondesh. The Shondesh we eat today appeared about 400-450 years ago. Although a similar sweet was mentioned in medieval literature like the Ramayana, it was made with kheer, not chana.

The initial days of Shondesh!

Originally, chana wasn't the primary component in sondesh. Our chana is quite similar to German Pot cheese. The method of making chana from milk was taught to Bengalis by the Portuguese. The first place in West Bengal where the Moiras began making sondesh was Hoogli. It is believed that Middle-European Quark is the origin of "chana or chena," Quark being a soft cheese from curd.

Yet, it was the Moira group that began mixing chana with sugar or jaggery to create Shondesh.

Famous Shondesh types

• Makha Shondesh: Chana is cooked with sugar or jaggery and then mashed, without being formed into a specific shape.
• Talsansh: This shondesh is shaped like a Sugar Palm Seed (Taalsans) and typically has a liquid filling, usually Nolen Gur.
• Shondesh with various shapes: After the chana is cooked, molds are generally used to give shondesh different forms, such as conch-shaped, Ata-shaped, or flower-shaped.
• Norom Paker Shondesh: This type of shondesh has a soft feel.
• Korapaker Shondesh: This kind has a rough texture.

There are many types, and I've only listed a few.

A few famous Shondesh Shops and the Inventors!

Before continuing, I want to say that I've only mentioned a few famous shops, not all of them.

I will update this part of the blog post as I get more information. I would be very thankful for any extra details readers can provide to help me update this section. Many books discuss Shondesh, including "Rasabati" by Sankar, "Amar dekha Kolkata" by Pyari Mohan Mukhopadhyay, "Banglar Khabar" by Pranab Roy, and "Shondeshnama" from Mayurakshi Prakashan. Sharmishtha, a descendant of the Janai's Jamindar Bari, kindly shared important facts about Monohara and Janai.

Late Paran Nag and Jonaier Monohara followed by the birth of Bhim Chandra Nag!

Janai is renowned as the birthplace of the famous "Manohara" sweet, first created by the Moira Paran Nag family. Paran Nag, who invented Monohara, opened his first shop in Kolkata in 1826. After his passing, the shop was renamed in honor of his son, Bhim Chandra Nag, who was also the father of Ladycani - the famous sweet.

Bhola Moira followed by Nabin Chandra Das

When discussing sondesh, it's essential to mention Bhola Moira, also known as Bholanath Modak. He was a pioneer in "Kobigan" and the father-in-law of Nabin Chandra Das. Interestingly, Nabin Das was not originally a Moira; his family was involved in the sugar trade and played a crucial role in distributing sugar during World War II. However, as this post focuses on sondesh, we will not elaborate further on Nabin Das. Both Bhola and Nabin were celebrated sondesh makers of their time.

Surjo Modok and Jalbhora Talsansh

Surjo Modok, the creator of the well-known Jolbhora Talsansh, opened his first shop in 1846. Jolbhora Talsansh is a sweet designed to resemble the juicy seed of a sugar palm, which is why it bears that name. This is one of West Bengal's finest shops for Shondesh.

Kalidas Modak

In 1829, Kalidas Modak arrived in Kolkata from Nadia and established a shop near Kumortuli. Interestingly, the renowned Indra sweets near College Street, which closed in 2000, was also managed by the same family.

Girish Chandra De and Nakur Chandra Nandi, the Father-in-law - Son-in-law pair

Around 1844, Mahesh Day came from Hooghly and opened a small shop. He didn't initially name it; instead, it was later named after his son, Girish Chandra Day. Girish's daughter married Nakur Chandra Nandi, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Makhan Lal Das

Then there was Makhan Lal Das, an orphan from Bardhaman district. Makhan worked at a sweet shop near Chitpur, owned by the Nandi family. They eventually handed the shop over to him, and in 1820, it received its name.

Dwarik

In 1865, Dwarik Das, along with his brothers, opened a sweet shop. Dwarik's was the first shop to offer savory items alongside its sweet dishes.

Sen Mahashoy

We can't talk about Sondesh without mentioning Ratabi Sondesh, which was introduced by the Sen family and their renowned shop, Sen Mahashoy. Their first shop opened in 1897, founded by the late Asutosh Sen.

Adhar Mishtanna Bhandar

Let's also highlight Adhar Mistanna Bhandar from Krishnanagar, established in 1902 by Adhar Chandra Das. This shop is famous for its Shorpuria.

Balaram Mallik and Radharaman Mallik, the brothers

Finally, we come to Balaram Mallik and Radharaman Mallik. Their father, the late Ganesh Mallik, came from Konnagar and started a sweet shop. His two sons, Balaram and Radharaman, later gave the shop its current name. Today, it is recognized as one of Kolkata's finest sweet shop chains.

How about making Shondesh at home!

• Janai-er Monohara! Monohara (মনোহরা) Recipe
• Nolen Gurer Sandesh
• Baked Kesari Sandesh
• Two in One Sondesh
• Kancha Golla (also known as Pranhora Sondesh)

How do you like Know your Shondesh blog post from Debjanir Rannaghar!

Do let me know your opinion. Also, I would love to see a picture of a shondesh which you can share here on [email protected]. Meanwhile, on Instagram, you can use my hashtag #debjanirrannaghar and in addition, you can tag me at @foodofdebjani.

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