It’s very rare that one whole tribe devotes a whole season to a food item. And being a true blue Bengali, well, it’s no secret now that I am talking about the one and only nolen gur (date palm jaggery) in the winter season. It’s the holy goblet for a Bengali. Flavourful and a natural sweetener, nolen gur is almost a seasonal staple at most Bengali households for preparing flavoured winter sweet delicacies or even a part of Bengali winter breakfast.
For us, Bengalis – traditional or not so traditional, ‘Nolen Gur’ is not just a jaggery, it’s a season of emotions that reminds us of our cultural roots. Well, I am not here to tell you something you already know or you might find a 100 blogs on
I am here to share one of my recent experiences that might add on to your next memorable experience list! It’s the season as well! Many of us know of places where we can witness the art of processing liquid jaggery out of date palm juice.
But do you know about a place called ‘Uchhepota Gram‘ – right at the heart of our very own city Kolkata?
What’s so special?
Well, it’s the nearest to us, Kolkatans, where you can get astonishing weather, terrific sceneries, warm people, fresh air and freshly made Noolen gur. It can be called the hub of Nolen Gur processing and distribution in South Kolkata and a large part beyond.
It’s a Sunday morning and I was out with a friend in search of a place to take a few photographs for blogs and Instagram page. While driving around cluelessly, my friend spoke about a small village right at the heart of the city. A village we expect to find far away from city life, a place that defines serenity.
Take the lane by Urbana Residential Complex and hit this small village as you drive for around 6 kms straight as per the road guides.
While driving through the roads of the beautiful small village, our faces & bodies were wrapped with woolen mufflers and sweaters, except for the eyes that were wide open, busy consuming the freshness of greeneries and see through the dense fog wrapped around the houses by the road.
All of a sudden he stopped the car and almost screamed excitedly “They are making Nolen Gur!! “
The date palm juice was bubbling all across the tray. A man wrapped in winter clothes was by the earthen stove, fueling the fire constantly with dry palm leaves, while another man was washing earthen vessels one by one and laying them upside down to dry.
A thick smoke covered the man standing by the tray, stirring the liquid . Only a little to reveal of the man, he looked like someone creating magic with a spatula.
THE MAKING
Nolen Gur comes from date palm trees and is extracted only during the winter months using dexterous skills. The process starts before dawn. When we all are enjoying our comfortable winter sleep, this village wakes up to extract date palm juice from the local trees to prepare Nolen Gur, to satiate our sweet cravings.
Thoroughly cleaned earthen pots are hanged from the date trees all night to collect date juice. Early in the morning, they are brought down to starts the process of making the jaggery.
The liquid juice is poured in big metal containers, boiled and thickened with constant stirring for 2-3 hours. The flames are ignited using dried palm leaves.
This liquid is naturally cooled in winter air and the not-so-thick golden brown liquid jaggery known as THE NOLEN GUR is ready to be filled in earthen pots for consumption and trading
From the month of December to February, in the brief winter spell in West Bengal, the distinguished mishti-lovers, go into a dessert hysteria. The seasonal treat Nolen Gur makes its appearance in Bengali sweets, making them even more sought after.
An absolute suggestion is to visit this serenity and taste our traditionally rich natural sweetness.
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