Sarpuria and sarbhaja of Bengal set to get GI tag for Bengali sweets

Sarpuria and sarbhaja are two favorite sweets of Bengal that are trying to get Geographical Indication (GI) status. These are created by the sweet-makers of Nadia district.
Sarpuria is made by mixing cottage cheese (chhana) with sugar, kheer, groundnut, cardamom, pistachio and saffron and steaming it. Sarbhaja is fried cottage cheese with layer of kheer with cream (sar) and dipped in sugar syrup. Both are out-of-this-world delicacies.
This has been reported in telegraphindia.com dated 29 September 2016.

An organization representing the sweet-makers has contacted the Bengal government to lobby with the Center on this count. The authorities have indicated that they are examining the matter before sending it to the Intellectual Property Appellate Board in Chennai. This is the center designated government authority that issues the GI tag.
GI is a name or sign that is used on certain products which corresponds to a specific geographical location or origin (for example a town, region or country). The GI indication is a sort of certification that the product possesses certain qualities, is made according to traditional methods and enjoys a certain reputation because of its geographical origin.
So far, ten items from Bengal have received the GI status. These are Darjeeling tea, Nakshi kantha, Santipur sari, Baluchari sari, Dhaniakhali sari, Joynagarer moa, Santiniketan leather goods and three varieties of mangoes - Laxman Bhog, Himsagar and Fazli.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org


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