{"id":8488,"date":"2026-10-26T18:39:14","date_gmt":"2026-10-26T09:39:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/parade.kyoto\/?post_type=sweetlore&p=8488"},"modified":"2026-10-31T18:50:53","modified_gmt":"2026-10-31T09:50:53","slug":"sandesh","status":"publish","type":"sweetlore","link":"https:\/\/parade.kyoto\/en\/sweetlore\/sandesh\/","title":{"rendered":"Sandesh"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Sandesh (Sandesh \/ \u09b8\u09a8\u09cd\u09a6\u09c7\u09b6) is one of the most representative milk sweets of the Bengal region. The word sandesh also means \u201cnews\u201d or \u201cmessage.\u201d A soft mass of milk curd is combined with sugar or a sugar called gur, then rolled into small balls or pressed into molds to give it a pattern. Besides white sandesh, there are brown ones made with non-centrifugal sugar and ones with syrup inside, so sweets of the same name vary in firmness and finish.<\/p>\n

The main ingredient best known today is chhana, made by curdling warmed milk with acid and removing the whey. Roshogolla, which is cooked in sugar syrup, also uses chhana, but sandesh is distinguished by kneading the milk curd and heating it with sugar to give it shape.<\/p>\n

Smoothing the grains, and not cooking it all the same way<\/h2>\n

Fresh chhana is made up of small milk curds clustered together. These are kneaded or ground into a uniform paste. How much moisture is left and the state of the grains affect how well the mixture holds together when it is later put into a mold. Kneading chhana that still retains moisture until smooth produces a sweet that holds together softly.<\/p>\n

For heating, a shallow pan is used, and the mixture is stirred constantly, with anything sticking to the pan scraped back in. In one technical example, the chhana is divided in two, and one portion is mixed with sugar and heated to 75\u00b0C. When it begins to come together, the remaining chhana is added, the whole is brought to 60\u00b0C, and it is then cooled and shaped. In this method, the portion cooked first and the portion added later are kept separate in order to adjust the final consistency.<\/p>\n

Soft naram-pak is finished with relatively more moisture left in, for a smooth mouthfeel. Kara-pak is cooked to a drier state. What is called kachagola is distinguished as a soft round sweet that retains the flavor of milk. However, the \u201craw\u201d in its name does not mean that freshly drawn milk is used as is, without heating. The milk has already been warmed at the stage of making chhana, the main ingredient.<\/p>\n

\n\"Brown\n
Sandesh made with date palm sugar (April 2, 2021, location unknown). Round sweets colored by the sugar, arranged in a dish. Photo: Sucharitabanerji \/ Wikimedia Commons<\/a> \/ CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a>. Downscaled version obtained from Commons. No content alterations or cropping were made on our part.<\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n

The whiteness of sugar, and the color of nolen gur<\/h2>\n

For sweetening, not only white sugar but also sugar made from date palm sap is used. In nolen gur sandesh, the color and aroma of that sugar are added to the pale color of the chhana. The brown appearance reflects not only the heating of the milk but also the color of the added sugar.<\/p>\n

Differences in sugar are also part of the history of sweet shops. The old-style confectionery described by Prabir Kumar Modak, a confectioner in Krishnanagar, features a semi-refined sugar called dolo chini. It was refined by covering hot cane sugar with algae, and it was used in kneaded makha sandesh and other sweets. Before and after refined factory-made sugar became widespread, the sweeteners confectioners used, and the sweets that were easy to make, were different.<\/p>\n

Even with the same \u201cmilk and sugar,\u201d the sweet changes depending on whether a milk concentrate or chhana is used and which sugar is chosen. Bengal also has lineages of sweets that use kheer, which is milk boiled down; khoa, which is milk concentrated until dry; and sar, the cream from the surface of milk. Sandesh has been handed down within a culture of milk-and-sugar sweets that existed before chhana sweets developed.<\/p>\n

Those who carve the molds, those who handle the pans, and those who finish the shapes<\/h2>\n

The patterns on sandesh involve the work of artisans who carve molds of wood or terracotta. Confectioners use those molds, pressing cooked chhana at the right consistency to shape it. By pressing a suitably cohesive mass of milk into the fine details of the mold, the carved lines are transferred onto the surface of the sweet.<\/p>\n

Ishita Dey, a researcher who studied sweet-making in Bengal, recorded that confectioners in shops divide their work between pak-type sweets, which are kneaded and cooked over the fire, and sweets cooked in syrup. The confectioner who gives the final shape on a wooden board called a pata needs the skill to judge when the cooking is done and to shape the sweet. The work of those who curdle the milk, those who cook in the pans and those who carve the molds all leads to the finished product.<\/p>\n

Mold carver Jayanta Kumar Das planes teak or other wood flat, cuts out the outline, hollows out the inside and smooths it with a file before carving fine patterns. He says that fine lines can be transferred to smooth chhana sweets, but coarse coconut sweets call for patterns that are deep and not too fine. Even the way a mold is carved changes to suit the sweet\u2019s mixture.<\/p>\n

For large wedding gifts, designs such as fish, seashells and brides and grooms have been handed down. In a 2017 interview, Das also presented molds of his own design that combined Howrah Bridge, the streets of Kolkata and a bride and groom riding in a taxi. The surface of the sweets reflects both old celebratory motifs and the town life of the day.<\/p>\n

Jalbhara is a sandesh in which scented water or gur is held inside a shape modeled on the kernel of a palmyra palm fruit. Beyond patterning the surface, it is made with a distinct milk shell and liquid filling. It is known as a confectioner\u2019s innovation associated with the name Surjo Moira, and it is counted among the specialties of Chandannagar. Because syrup forms the core and the outside is finished firm enough to hold its shape, a single bite reveals the contrast between the liquid inside and the shell.<\/p>\n

\n\"A\n
An assortment of Bengali sandesh (2021, location unknown). Round and cylindrical pieces are arranged on the plate. Photo: Sarkar Sayantan \/ Wikimedia Commons<\/a> \/ CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a>. Image obtained from the source. No content alterations or cropping were made for this page.<\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n

How a sweet of the same name changed from concentrated milk to chhana<\/h2>\n

The name sandesh appears in medieval texts, but not all of the recipes of that time can be identified. Regarding the sweets offered to the religious leader Chaitanya and his contemporaries, the food historian Chitrita Banerji explains that they were made by solidifying sweetened kheer. In this example, the milk was processed differently from today\u2019s chhana sweets. Boiling milk down to drive off moisture and curdling milk with acid to remove the whey differ both in how the milk is concentrated and in the milk structure that remains. The history of the name sandesh therefore includes sweets made with different milk ingredients.<\/p>\n

The time when the name sandesh came to refer mainly to chhana sweets cannot be fixed to a single year. It is thought that by the late 19th century, it had become usual for the name to refer to sweets made with chhana. The old kheer sweets and the newer chhana sweets are connected within the history of the same name.<\/p>\n

Bengali sweets that use chhana are said to be linked to the milk processing of the Portuguese who lived in Bandel. According to this theory, local artisans learned to handle chhana through the work of supplying food to ships. It is an account of technical exchange in which milk processing was passed on in workplaces where different peoples came into contact.<\/p>\n

In the 18th century, urban life and an elite consumer culture developed in Murshidabad, Krishnanagar, Dhaka, Natore and other places. In 19th-century Kolkata, people who had grown wealthy through trade and the urban middle class became customers and patrons of sweet shops. Confectioners competed with new flavors and shapes, and each shop launched sweets under names of its own. Urban consumption and commercial ingenuity came together with the adoption of milk processing.<\/p>\n

Local character in Guptipara, Dhaka and Natore<\/h2>\n

Guptipara, in Hooghly district of West Bengal, has Gupo Sandesh, made with chhana from cow\u2019s milk. As a sweet known early on in Bengal by its own distinctive name, it is also called \u201cthe first branded sweet.\u201d It has gained a wide reputation through the link between the place and the name of the product. Chandannagar\u2019s jalbhara is another example of a place name linked to the structure of a sweet.<\/p>\n

Among the soft sweets called pranhara in Dhaka, Bangladesh, some combine chhana with mawa, made by boiling milk down. Mawa is a concentrated milk also called khoa. It adds the flavor and fine texture of concentrated milk to a sweet that would otherwise be made by kneading chhana alone. In one recipe introduced locally, half of the chhana is cooked with sugar and cooled, then mixed with the remaining chhana, milk powder, cream and ghee, and the rolled balls are also coated on the outside with mawa. Beyond differences in sweetener, the method of combining two milk ingredients also shows the range of local sweets.<\/p>\n

Natore\u2019s kachagola is a specialty that makes the most of the aroma of freshly made cow\u2019s milk chhana. According to an origin story handed down in the district, Madhusudan, a sweet shop owner in Lalbazar, was left with a large amount of chhana one day when his confectioners did not come to work. To keep it from spoiling, he added syrup and cooked it over low heat until it became sticky, and the result was a delicious sweet. The exact date of its creation is not known, and the story is a local legend. This story, too, depicts chhana being cooked with sugar over heat, even though the sweet\u2019s name means \u201craw.\u201d<\/p>\n

Carrying news, delivering sweets to celebrations<\/h2>\n

Sandesh is not only eaten after meals or at teatime but is also given as a gift when visiting people and as an offering to the gods. The old kheer sweets were relatively dry and kept well, and there is said to have been a custom of taking them along on visits. The name meaning \u201cnews\u201d has also been explained in connection with a way of life in which news and sweets were delivered together.<\/p>\n

In Bengal, there are customs in which the bride\u2019s side serves sweets on visits leading up to an engagement, and before the wedding the groom\u2019s side sends sweets along with clothing and fish. These gifts include sandesh shaped like fish. The shapes made with molds are decorations, and at the same time they give character to the items delivered to celebrations. Sweets also accompany the announcement of a birth and a child\u2019s first-rice ceremony, and from everyday treats to life\u2019s milestones, small sweets of milk and sugar pass between people.<\/p>\n

\"White<\/p>\n

White sandesh rolled into small balls with a dent on top. An example finished with nuts and other decorations. Photo: Miansari66. Image source<\/a> \/ CC0<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Glossary<\/h2>\n

Chhana<\/strong>: A soft dairy product made by curdling warmed milk with acid and removing the whey.<\/p>

Roshogolla<\/strong>: A sweet made by rolling chhana into balls and cooking them in syrup. Its finish differs from that of sandesh, which is kneaded and shaped.<\/p>

Naram-pak<\/strong>: A type of soft sandesh with relatively high moisture.<\/p>

Kara-pak<\/strong>: A type of sandesh cooked to a drier state.<\/p>

Kachagola<\/strong>: A soft, round sweet that retains the flavor of milk. The \u201craw\u201d in its name does not indicate that the milk is unheated.<\/p>

Nolen gur<\/strong>: A sugar derived from date palm sap. It adds color and aroma to sandesh.<\/p>

Dolo chini<\/strong>: A semi-refined sugar obtained through refining with algae. It was used in old Bengali confectionery.<\/p>

Prabir Kumar Modak<\/strong>: A confectioner in Krishnanagar. He was interviewed about old sugars and confectionery.<\/p>

Makha sandesh<\/strong>: Sandesh made by kneading chhana and sugar together.<\/p>

Kheer<\/strong>: Milk boiled down to thicken it. Depending on the region and dish, some versions contain rice or other ingredients.<\/p>

Khoa<\/strong>: A concentrated dairy product made by boiling milk down further to reduce its moisture.<\/p>

Sar<\/strong>: The layer of cream that forms on the surface of milk. It is an ingredient in a different lineage of Bengali sweets.<\/p>

Ishita Dey<\/strong>: A researcher who studied sweet-making in Bengal and recorded confectioners\u2019 division of labor, tools and techniques.<\/p>

Pata<\/strong>: A wooden board for finishing sweets. Cooked chhana is shaped on it.<\/p>

Jalbhara<\/strong>: A type of sandesh with scented water or gur inside.<\/p>

Surjo Moira<\/strong>: A confectioner associated in popular accounts with the creation of jalbhara.<\/p>

Gupo Sandesh<\/strong>: Sandesh made with cow\u2019s milk chhana, known by the name of Guptipara.<\/p>

Pranhara<\/strong>: A soft sandesh that combines chhana with concentrated milk and other ingredients. Dhaka also has a sweet by this name.<\/p>

Mawa<\/strong>: A concentrated dairy product made by boiling milk down to reduce its moisture. It is also called khoa.<\/p>

Ghee<\/strong>: Milk fat made by removing water and milk solids from butter.<\/p>

Madhusudan<\/strong>: The Lalbazar sweet shop owner who appears in the origin story of Natore\u2019s kachagola.<\/p>

Chaitanya<\/strong>: A religious leader of Bengal. Food historians discuss the differences between the sandesh offered in his time and present-day products.<\/p>

Chitrita Banerji<\/strong>: An author who researches and writes about Bengali food culture. She discusses the differences in milk ingredients between medieval and modern sandesh.<\/p>

Jayanta Kumar Das<\/strong>: An artisan who carves wooden molds for Bengali sweets. In a 2017 interview, he explained his tools, materials and designs.<\/p>

References<\/h2>\n
  1. INFLIBNET, \u201cChhana based sweetmeats\u201d<\/a> \u2014 Draining chhana; sugar and staged heating for sandesh.<\/li>
  2. Ishita Dey, \u201cCrafting Sweets in Bengal,\u201d Sahapedia<\/a> \u2014 Confectioners\u2019 division of labor, molds, lineages of milk ingredients and differences in finish.<\/li>
  3. Ishita Dey, \u201cSweets crafted in Bengal,\u201d Sahapedia<\/a> \u2014 Interview with confectioner Prabir Kumar Modak about sugar and confectionery.<\/li>
  4. Somshankar Ray, \u201cA Curious Cuisine,\u201d Sahapedia<\/a> \u2014 Explanation of urbanization and Portuguese milk processing.<\/li>
  5. Chitrita Banerji, \u201cMilk: Beyond the Dairy,\u201d p. 57<\/a> \u2014 Concentrated-milk sweets offered to Chaitanya and his contemporaries.<\/li>
  6. Colleen Taylor Sen, \u201cMilk: Beyond the Dairy,\u201d pp. 300\u2013308<\/a> \u2014 Urban culture, jalbhara and pranhara, and specific examples of gift-giving.<\/li>
  7. The Daily Star, \u201cPranhara sandesh,\u201d 2014<\/a> \u2014 A Dhaka recipe combining chhana and mawa.<\/li>
  8. Natore District Administration, \u201cDistrict Traditions\u201d<\/a> \u2014 Oral tradition about kachagola and its origin involving the shop owner Madhusudan.<\/li>
  9. Rangan Datta, \u201cGuptipara,\u201d 2011<\/a> \u2014 The place name behind Gupo Sandesh, and cow\u2019s milk chhana.<\/li>
  10. Sourav Roy \/ Jayanta Kumar Das, \u201cMoulds for sweets,\u201d Sahapedia<\/a> \u2014 Interview with a wooden mold carver; carving techniques and designs. The video itself was not viewed.<\/li><\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Sandesh (Sandesh \/ \u09b8\u09a8\u09cd\u09a6\u09c7\u09b6) is one of the most representative milk sweets of the Bengal region. The word sandesh also means \u201cnews\u201d or \u201cmessage.\u201d A soft mass of milk curd is combined with sugar or a sugar called gur, then rolled into small balls or pressed into molds to give it a pattern. Besides white sandesh, there are brown ones made with non-centrifugal sugar and ones with syrup inside, and sweets under the same name differ in firmness and finish.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":7558,"menu_order":259,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_parade_sweetlore_meta":{"en":"Sandesh","subtitle":"A Bengali sweet of kneaded milk whose character changes with the heat and the mold","topics":"Kneading chhana until smooth\uff0fThe color and aroma of date palm sugar\uff0fThe work of artisans who carve patterns into wooden molds","country":"West Bengal, India, and elsewhere","show_toc":true,"ingredients":["cheese"],"texture":[],"occasion":[],"method":["cooked"],"season":[]},"footnotes":""},"sweetlore_category":[159],"class_list":["post-8488","sweetlore","type-sweetlore","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":{"sweetlore_related_products":null,"sweetlore_related_faqs":null,"sweetlore_related_voices":null,"sweetlore_related_mode":"auto","sweetlore_related_articles":null},"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t