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Postal dept to honour its rosogolla inventor with stamp

Hindustan Times, Kolkata | By
Jan 25, 2018 01:01 PM IST

The Mamata Banerjee government is formulating a policy to brand rosogolla, an important part of which is to set nutrition parameters for exporting the popular sweetmeat.

The department of posts is all set to recognise West Bengal sweetmeat maker Nobin Chandra Das, who invented the rosogolla in 1868, with a stamp and a special cover after one of India’s most celebrated desserts was granted the geographical indication status.

“Our department has also sought a letter a confirmation in this regard from the GI registry office. We are expecting that anytime and once we receive it, the design of the Special Cover and My Stamp will be finalised and released as early as possible,” chief postmaster general (West Bengal circle) Arundhaty Ghosh said.

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The Geographical Indications (GI) registry announced on November 14 last year that the white spongy dessert, also known as rasgulla in large parts of the country, originated in West Bengal.

The great-great-grandson of Nobin Chandra Das (1845-1925) and director of KC Das Sweets, Dhiman Das, said that the move by the department of post is an honour for the entire sweet-making fraternity in the country and not just for the Das family.

“This is for the first time that a special cover and stamp will be released on a sweet maker. It’s a matter of pride for the entire fraternity,” Das said.

“After the GI tag was granted to Bengal’s rosogolla, officials of the department of post contacted me. They sought a summary of the life of Nobin Chandra Das, his picture and pictures of rosogollas. After the designs for the special cover and stamp are finalised they will show them to us, following which these will be released,” he added.

Read | Bengal’s sweet is rosogolla, says Odisha as it pursues GI status for Odia rasagola

A biopic on the rosogolla inventor in Bengali is also expected to hit the theatres by December this year. The film Rosogolla is being produced by Windows Production and directed by young director Pavel, whose low budget film Babar Naam Gandhiji (Father’s name is Gandhiji) in 2015 earned critical appreciation.

Incidentally, 2018 also marks the 150th year of the invention of the sweet.

Bengal food processing minister Abdur Rezzak Mollah described the proposed stamp as the second recognition after the GI tag for the sweet that was invented in Bengal.

For a couple of years, Odisha also pursued with the GI registry to win the claim.

The Mamata Banerjee government has already initiated a process of formulating a policy to brand rosogolla, an important part of which is to set nutrition parameters for exporting the popular sweetmeat.

According to those parameters, each piece should have a minimum of 269 calories, 40 grams of carbohydrate, six to eight grams of fat and 200 grams milligrams of calcium. Only those who manufacture according to the specifications will get the Banglar Rosogolla tag.

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