A winter without gnawing away at Rosogolla, Patishapta, Pulipithe, or Jolbhora Sandesh is a winter wasted. This is a fact universally acknowledged by all Bengalis. The key ingredient in all these sweets, of course, is Nolen Gur, meaning nascent jaggery.

Nolen Gur is essentially a product of the date palm or Khejur tree. Farmers make a cut in the tree early in the day, and fix an earthen pot just below the cut to collect the juice of the date palm tree. This juice, Khejur Rosh, is in itself a delicacy. You must consume it fresh since it loses its flavor very quickly.

Khejur Rosh is then boiled, resulting in a thick syrup called Jhola Gur. Of course, as Sukumar Roy has stated, “pauruti ar jhola gur” is the most delicious meal in the world. Taste might be a subjective matter, but not when it comes to Nolen Gur.

Finally, Jhola Gur is further condensed and solidified. This solidified product is sold as Patali. Patali should ideally be used in desserts as a sweetener, but one must agree that it is absolutely delicious on its own. This Patali is used in the Nolen Gur sweets we love and cherish. Nowadays, Nolen Gur flavored ice-creams have hit the market as well, and we love them.

Sweet shops often preserve and use the Gur year-round. However, according to some of the best confectioners in Kolkata, preserved Nolen Gur is nothing short of a sacrilege since it doesn’t taste or smell the same. After all, if Bengalis had a superpower, it would be smelling Nolen Gur from light-years away.