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Sweets are an integral part of the Bangladeshi cuisine. Every region of Bangladesh has a signature sweet variety that not only enriches people's taste buds but also remains a unique cultural heritage of that region.
In this way, when the name of Natore district comes to someone's mind, among many things, Natore's Kacha Golla, a delicious variety of sweets made with curdled milk, automatically comes to mind.
The sweet is not only popular throughout Bangladesh but has also made inroads in the neighbouring Indian state of West Bengal, which houses many descendants of people who came from Natore during the partition.
There is some myth associated with the origin of the sweet. It is popularly believed that the creation of the sweet was accidental and not deliberate.
Madhusudan Paul's sweetshop was one of the most famous in the district, situated in Lalbazar of Natore City. His shop had a lot of employees, and about two mounds of curdled milk were reserved daily to make different sweet items.
One day, not a single employee was present at the shop, which made Madhusudan anxious, as he thought he would have to waste all that curdled milk.
Then he thought of an alternative plan, poured sugar syrup on it, and later found out that it tasted quite delicious. This is thought to be the origin story of Natore's Kacha Golla, which can be heard in local folk tales.
The sweet later started becoming famous and spreading throughout Bengal due to the active patronage of Queen Bhabani, the legendary zamindar of Natore, often referred to as 'Ordho Bongeshwari' due to the size of her kingdom.
Legend also has it that Madhusudan Paul provided her with sweets. In Queen Bhabani's royal palace, every new guest was treated to Kacha Golla.
During the Bengal Renaissance, the sweet started getting famous in Kolkata as well, and many outlets that claimed to replicate the original recipe were created in Kolkata.
However, none of them succeeded in replicating the sweet meat's original taste.
Natore's Kacha Golla is among a multitude of sweet items that are related to the true essence of confectionery in Bengal. In the world of globalisation, such raw taste can be made known globally.