Purba Medinipur, West Bengal

Gohona Bori (Jewellery-Shaped Bori)

Gohona bori is a sun-dried bori, the crisp Bengali sweet made from rice flour, piped out to resemble real jewellery - necklaces, earrings, armlets and hairpins - as well as paisley, floral, fish and butterfly motifs; it is one of Bengal's oldest traditions of edible art. It is made primarily in the Purba Medinipur region, notably at Tamluk and Mahishadal, and Mahishadal still celebrates an ancient 'bori wedding' festival in its honour each year. Served at weddings and festivals, the crisp discs keep for weeks when dry. A buyer gets a shelf-stable, crunchily sweet snack with a look you will not find outside this belt.

Typical price: ₹50-400

Buying tip: Buy from Tamluk or Mahishadal sweet shops in winter, when the mild sun gives the crispiest drying, and ask for paper packing - the bori snaps when fresh and softens if it sits in plastic.