Soft, spongy and ever-so delightful Rasgulla has to be one of Sub-continents most famout sweetmeats. Made of chenna and sugar, the melt-in -mouth delicacy has been the eye of the storm for quite some time now regarding its origins. After having won the GI Tag for Roshogolla, West Bengal is leaving no stones unturned to celebrate and cherish the sweetmeat even more than before. Be it a religious function or weddings, Rashogolla is a common fixture in every Bengali gathering. There are several contemporary takes to the sweetmeat that has come up in the food scene. One such newest variant that is making Kolkata weak in their knees is a Tulsi Rasogolla. Packing the flavor of tulsi(or holy Basil) leaves, Tulsi Rashogolla is on the platter at an ongoing food festival organised by the West Bengal government in Kolkata.
The Tulsi Rashogolla is one of the most hot-selling items in one of the 25 stalls at the five-day food festival Ahare Bangla being conducted at New Town Mela Grounds, Kolkata.
"This particular variety retains the unique spongy charactersitic of Banglar Rosogolla with medicinal quality of Tulsi plants and became an instant hit along with other traditional varieties," a spokesperson of the stall told PTI.
The stall is also selling rasogollas in many other flavours. But the Tulsi Rasogolla seems to be taking away most of the limelight. The Tulsi Rasogolla is vying for attention along with the Russian delicacies like bliny, coulibiac and vegetarian and pork and chicken cheese variations, which are being sold from a stall set up with help from the Russian consulate.
About 66 food outlet chains of the city, including the 25 sweetmeat shops, are participating in the fair which was inaugurated on 7thDecember 2017. The fair will continue till December 11.
Other stalls that are getting attention from the crowd are the one selling authentic Chinese fare, their spread include the traditional and the signature Schezuan and Cantonese cuisines. From Chicken Sui Mui, Chicken Wrap Prawn Shezwan Sauce, Kung Pao Chicken, Prawn with Pok Choy, Cantonese Pork, Five Spice Lamb, Roasted Chilli Lamb and Peking Duck, they have it all at Ahare Bangla
The food festival is being attended by 41 leading restaurant chains of the city, Minister of State of Animal Husbandry department Swapan Debnath said. Panchayat Minister Subrata Mukherjee said during inauguration that the food festival is aimed to revive the forgotten cuisine of the yesteryears among the present generation.
(With Inputs PTI)