'Surprised that lit fest on mishti didn't happen earlier': US Consul General to Kolkata at Jugal's event

Pavek inaugurated the festival at Town Hall in downtown Kolkata.

The event was hosted by Lahana Ghosh, the grandchild of popular sweetmeat-making shop Jugal's owner, on the occasion of the shop's completion of its 100th year.

Speaking at the festival, Pavek told IBNS, "I think it's a really unique idea. When they reached out and told me about this idea, I was a little bit puzzled but later realised how perfect this festival is. I'm surprised that this sort of festival didn't happen earlier."

"Mishti to me is something that I have too often and I love to share with the members of my team and family. When I go to the United States, I always take a couple of boxes of sandesh along with me because people in the United States love it," she added.

Inauguration ceremony of the festival | Image Credit: Avishek Mitra/IBNS

The event comprised panel discussions, open house forums, art and photo exhibitions, and interactive workshops on mishti, a form of dessert unique to Bengal and adored by 300 million Bengalis worldwide.

Each of the sessions at the festival delved into the history, legacy, culinary footprint, economics, socio-cultural impact and most importantly, the future of the dairy-dependent mishti industry.

The Jugal’s claimed this was the first literature festival to celebrate the legacy of Bengal through the nuances of mishti.

The Portuguese, after settling down in and around Kolkata in the 17th century, were the first to make sweets with 'chhana' or cheese. It was followed by the making of modern sandesh and rosogolla by the Bengali confectioners by mixing chhana and sugar in the 18th century.