Jose K Joseph
post news network
Bhubaneswar, July 19: There is still no dispute or debate on whether one should have a rasgolla or not. The only point of contention is who made the sweetmeat first and who, therefore, takes the geographical indication (GI) tag for the spongy, syrupy milk-based delicacy.
While groups argue with vigour about the origins of the rasgolla, bakers and confectioners appear to have no interest in all the talk. While members of the public are firm on the question of origin of the rasgolla — depending on which state they hailed from — they know little about GI tagging and weren’t bothered.
Aged residents Orissa POST spoke with may have lost their teeth to time but not their love and sweet tooth for the “definitely Oriya sweetmeat”. They vouch for Oriya origins of the rasagolla.
Loknath Nayak, a senior citizen and businessman who is unable to resist the lure of rasgollas in spite of being a diabetic, says: “History and Jagannath traditions show that Orissa is the home of the rasgolla. We must, therefore, not relent in this sweet tug of war.”
Similarly, home-maker Anasuya Tripathy who confessed ignorance about the GI tag, said that she would “never agree if some other state claimed to be the birthplace of rasgollas”. “My mother taught me how to make rasgollas and I trained my children and grandchildren how to make these,” Anasuya says.
National Highway 16, which connects Cuttack and Bhubaneswar, is regarded a paradise for rasgolla lovers. More than 80 rasgolla stalls line this stretch of road.
Ramesh Behera, the owner of one of these stalls, says he has been making rasgolla for the past 25 years. He was among the 300 odd rasgolla makers who participated in the recent Rasgolla Divas celebration. “We all celebrated Rasgolla Divas to show solidarity with the claim. We would like to request the state and the experts’ committee to not give up on the sweetmeat,” Ramesh said.
People feel the experts’ committee should also analyse the scope of exporting the GI tagged rasgollas made by these traditional confectioners. Many of them suggested that tourism department should promote the traditional sweetmeat.
Members of ‘Generation Now’, however, want more experimentation with the dish to make it more attractive.
“We love rasgollas and won’t agree with any state’s claim regarding its origin. But confectioners should come up with new tastes for the dessert. The government must consider this possibility,” Santoshi Barik, a degree student, said.
Some rasgolla makers are already experimenting with new tastes such as pomegranate juice rasgolla, mango rasgolla and strawberry juice rasgolla. These are also being sold online.
Their origin notwithstanding, rasgollas are bound to rule tastebuds in this part of the country until kingdom come.
Some history
Several historians believe the rasgolla originated in Puri as ‘Khira Mohana’, which later evolved into the Pahala Rasgulla. The belief is that Lord Jagannath had given the dish to Goddess Laxmi upon his return from his trip with brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra to their aunt’s place (represented by the car festival). Rasgullas has been offered as oblations to Goddess lakshmi for centuries. According to sources, the committee on rasgollas, in its final report submitted to the state government, had also submitted that there was a mention of the historic sweet in the ‘Dandi Ramayana’, written by poet Balram Das in the 16th Century. The report also cites evidence of the sweet having existed in the state for more than 600 years.
What does GI mean?
Geographical Indication (GI) is an insignia on products that denotes their unique geographical origin and evolution over centuries with regards to its special quality or reputation. It is a mark of authenticity and ensures that registered authorised users (or at least those residing within the geographic territory) are allowed to use the popular product name.
What does GI tag confer?
# Legal protection to products
# Prevents unauthorised use of the tag by others
# Helps consumers get quality products with desired traits
# Promotes demand for products in national and international markets
What are the legal authorities that govern the GI tag?
At the international level, GI is governed by World Trade Organisation (WTO) Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (or TRIPS). In India, it is governed by Geographical Indications of goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999.
Darjeeling tea: It was the first product in India accorded with a GI tag. At present India has 238 GI tag products. Mysore Silk, Mysore Pak, and Thanjavur Veena are some.