Sample listingFamily Workshop
Jalbhara Sandesh (per piece)₹15
Malai Sandesh (per piece)₹25
Jalbhara Sandesh (per kg)₹800
Hooghly, West Bengal
Jalbhara Sandesh
GI Tagged
Food
Confidence: high
A small chhena sweet that hides a liquid heart: a pocket of fragrant nolen-gur (date palm jaggery) syrup sealed inside the sandesh, so an unassuming sweet bursts with liquid when bitten. It carries a recorded legacy of over 220 years in Chandannagar and its name means 'water thief', from a famous old wedding prank. It is made in winter, when fresh nolen jaggery is in season (December-January), by hereditary sweetmakers in the French colonial town. Buyers get the GI-tagged sweet direct from the town that has guarded the recipe for two centuries.
Typical price: ₹10-25 per piece (approx 500-1000 per kg)
Buying tip: Buy in Chandannagar in winter when the fresh nolen jaggery is in season; an authentic jalbhara holds its liquid centre without leaking.
Representative image — shows the commodity, not necessarily this district. Image: Sarkar Sayantan · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Where it comes from
Sub-regions
Chandannagar
Grounding
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jolbhora_Sandesh
- https://orissasambad.com/the-alchemy-of-sugar-and-history-chandannagars-jalbhara-sandesh-secures-global-recognition/
- https://www.freepressjournal.in/lifestyle/west-bengals-chandannagar-jolbhora-gets-gi-tag-everything-to-know-about-this-220-year-old-heritage-dessert
- https://www.telegraphindia.com/my-kolkata/food/chandannagars-jolbhora-sandesh-gets-gi-tag-along-with-21-other-products-from-west-bengal/cid/2167632
- https://www.thehindu.com/food/features/chandannagars-jalbhara-gets-gi-tag-the-220-year-old-bengali-sweet-that-began-as-a-wedding-prank/article71173175.ece
3 shops
Sellers
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Sample listingRetailer
Jalbhara Sandesh (per piece)₹20
Sandesh Gift Box (12 pieces)₹250
Sample listingRetailer
Jalbhara Sandesh (per piece)₹22
Jalbhara Sandesh (per kg)₹950