⚪ Rasgulla

Rasgulla is a sweet from eastern India and Bangladesh: spongy balls of fresh chhena cheese cooked in sugar syrup. The chhena is kneaded into a smooth dough with 1–4% flour or semolina, rolled into balls of about 30 mm and boiled for about 15 minutes; according to FAO, 1 kg of chhena yields 90–100 pieces. The balls are then left to soak in syrup until their sugar content reaches 45–50%.

FAO links the spongy rasgulla to the confectioner Nobin Chandra Das of Kolkata, in 1868. Odisha, by contrast, points to an ancient ritual at the Jagannath temple in Puri, where rasgulla is offered to the goddess Lakshmi. India has registered both geographical indications: Banglar Rasogolla (West Bengal, 2017), white balls without starch, and Odisha Rasagola (2019), softer, with a creamy tint from caramelised sugar and not perfectly round.

In a 2021 study, a control rasgulla contained 52% water, 5.6% fat, 6.8% protein and 38.6% sucrose. India's FSSAI standard allows up to 65% moisture in chhena; cow's milk is best for the sweets, because buffalo milk gives a harder chhena (FAO). Related chhena sweets include ras malai and sandesh.

Rasgulla or gulab jamun? Rasgulla is made from chhena and boiled in syrup; gulab jamun is made from khoa and fried before soaking. Rasgulla or ras malai and sandesh? All three are chhena sweets, so what sets rasgulla apart is kneaded chhena balls boiled in syrup. Bengal or Odisha? Banglar Rasogolla, registered in 2017, is white and round, without starch; Odisha Rasagola, registered in 2019, is softer, with a creamy tint from caramelised sugar and not perfectly round.

Look for rasgulla, also spelt rasogolla or rasagola: Banglar Rasogolla means the white, starch-free Bengal kind, Odisha Rasagola the softer, creamy-tinted one. Choose white, springy balls without cracks in a light, clear syrup. Keep them in the syrup in a closed container in the fridge, and eat quickly. You will find rasgulla at Indian grocers and sweet shops, and in some Asian supermarkets.

Why it matters to you. Rasgulla spoils quickly: keep it in its syrup, in a closed container in the fridge (in studies, at no more than 10 °C), and eat it as soon as possible. Choose white, springy balls without cracks in a light, clear syrup. It is almost 40% sucrose, so it is a festive dessert rather than everyday food.