North 24 Parganas, West Bengal

Taki Chhanar Malpoa

A local Bengali sweet that Taki, the river-front town under Hasnabad police station in the Basirhat subdivision, is specifically known for. It is a malpua made with chhna (fresh cheese), fried in ghee until the outside sets into a crisp sweet shell around a soft chhna-and-flour centre; Taki's winter special khajur patal is also a local favourite. Local sweet shops and halwais in Taki make it year-round, and it is the standard takeaway sweet for visitors crossing the Ichamati river. It is one of the few named sweets tied to a single town inside North 24 Parganas.

Typical price: ₹150-500

Buying tip: Buy in winter when Taki's sweet shops are busiest; pick pieces with a crisp golden shell and a soft, moist filling that holds its shape.