Bengal desserts make sweet impression on global list

KOLKATA: Three desserts and the outlets they are sold at have made it to the list of 150 Most Legendary Dessert Places in the World of TasteAtlas, sharing the space with their iconic counterparts including 'Baklava', 'Kunafa', New York style cheesecake, 'Mont Blanc', fruit biscuits and 'Churros.'

Kolkata is perhaps the only city to have three 'dessert destinations' on the list attributed to itself. 'Rasogollas' of KC Das, Rum Balls from Flurys and 'Sandesh' from Balaram Mullick and Radharaman Mullick have occupied the 25th, 26th and 37th spot on the list respectively.

TasteAtlas is "an encyclopedia of flavors, a world atlas of traditional dishes, local ingredients, and authentic restaurants". According to TasteAtlas, KC Das' "legacy extends beyond its sweets, as it represents a vital part of Kolkata's cultural and gastronomic heritage".

Dhiman Das, executive director of KC Das, said he was surprised that TasteAtlas-which is headquartered in Croatia-has an indepth knowledge on 'rasogollas' and the debate around its origin and GI tag, involving Odisha ."They mentioned 1866 as the date for KC Das. That means, they have referred to the year when Nobin Chandra Das set up a sweet shop. This shop on Dharmatala was set up in 1935," Das said.

Flurys, the iconic patisserie on Park Street was established in 1927 by J Flury and his wife. According to TasteAtlas, "among its extensive menu of pastries and desserts, Flurys is particularly famous for its rum balls".

"As we approach our remarkable milestone of 100 years, our team is thrilled and honoured to have received a high ranking on TasteAtlas," said Rajesh Singh, national head, Flurys. "This survey takes into account our relentless effort. To increase our production, we have even imported'kadai' from Japan. Earlier, we would produce Sandesh of 100 kgs per day. Now, we make 2000 kgs a day," said Sudip Mullick, director of Balaram Mullick and Radharaman Mullick.