Bengal’s Nolen Gur Sandesh Among Seven Products to Receive Geographical Indication Tag

West Bengal has recently been awarded Geographical Indication (GI) tags for seven of its traditional products, including the renowned ‘Nolen Gurer Sandesh’ and Baruipur guavas. This achievement is anticipated to enhance the local economy and provide international recognition to the state's cultural offerings. An official highlighted this development on Friday.

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The ‘Nolen Gurer Sandesh’ is a winter treat crafted from fresh ‘chhena’ or curdled milk, combined with the season's special ‘nolen gur’ or date palm jaggery. This jaggery gives the sweet a rich, caramel-like taste and a warm golden colour. A sweet-maker from South Kolkata remarked, "This jaggery is the soul of the sandesh made in winter. Without it, the winter sandesh wouldn't be the same."

Recognition for Traditional Sweets

The same jaggery is also used in ‘Joynagar Moya’, another traditional sweet that received a GI tag previously. The five other products that have now gained GI status include Kamarpukur’s white bonde, Murshidabad’s ‘Chhanabora’, Bishnupur’s ‘motichur laddoo’, Radhunipagal rice, and Malda’s Nistari silk yarn.

H K Guha, president of the Federation of Association of Cottage and Small Industries, expressed enthusiasm about this progress. "The announcement of the GI tag for seven new products is a huge step forward," he stated. The federation collaborates with MSMEs and state bodies to promote West Bengal's traditional items for GI recognition.

Efforts Behind GI Applications

Various organisations have played a role in securing these GI tags. Misti Udyog, a prominent body of Bengali confectioners, submitted applications for sweetmeat items. Meanwhile, Baruipur Farmers Producer Company applied for guavas, and the State Agricultural Management and Extension Training Institute at Narendrapur applied for Radhunipagal rice.

A representative from the farmers company noted, "These applications were filed two to three years ago. Their approval now is a reward for years of work." Across India, over 500 products have achieved GI recognition, with West Bengal continuing to push for more.

Challenges and Future Prospects

Despite these achievements, confectioners face challenges in marketing jaggery-based sweets like Nolen Gurer Sandesh due to their limited shelf life. "Despite research, the shelf life is still limited to 7–10 days. It makes exporting these sweets quite expensive due to air freight," explained a Joynagar moya exporter.

However, there is hope as date palm jaggery is now available in modern packaging with an extended shelf life. This offers potential for future scalability. With GI recognition, West Bengal's products are set to enter new markets, strengthening cultural pride and supporting artisans and farmers across the state.

Programmes are organised by the state science, technology and biotechnology department to raise awareness among district residents about these developments. Guha emphasised that other regional treasures deserve similar recognition as they form part of West Bengal's cultural identity.