Rasabali And Rasagola #RasagolaA2Z

Odisha has many sweets and treats.

Most people are yet to be introduced to the rich cuisine of Odisha.

Odisha has many sweets starting with the word- Rasa.

You can learn more about them in this post- Rasa, Rasakora, Rasabara, And Rasagola in Odia 

Do you know that Pages 7007-7020 of the Volume VI of Purnachandra Odia Bhasakosha (Purnachandra Odia Dictionary) list words starting with ‘Rasa’?
Rasa is related to Odisha's culture.
Rasa, Rasakora, Rasabara, Rasagola in Odia language -https://t.co/0g9pV6jRr3#RasagolaDibasa pic.twitter.com/SMVCcHJBsj

— Dr. Anita Sabat (@anitaexplorer) July 25, 2018

Rasabali and Rasagola are traditional sweets of Odisha that are prepared using cottage-cheese i.e. chhena. They have been offered as bhog/prasad for centuries at important temples namely- Shree Baladevjew Temple, Kendrapara, & Shree Jagannatha Temple, Puri.

But, many are yet to taste these Odia sweets.

As this writer has been constantly stressing, we need to promote these by ensuring branding and uniform spelling all across-

Rasabali (not Rasavali or Rasaballi etc.) & Rasagola (not Rasogolla or Rosogolla etc.)

Following the Odisha Rasagola GI tag, several other producer groups have expressed interest for respective GIs for their own local products. It is great to see that Rasagola and GI activism and advocacy is bearing fruits.

Last year, this writer was delighted to receive a call from Kendrapara. 

Kendrapara district member of Odisha Sahitya Akademi and editor of Shree Taladhwaja newsletter, Shri Saroj Kumar Mohanty, called and enquired the process for GI application. Just like for Odisha Rasagola, we had to create awareness first in the producer group. We added Rasabali producers and intellectuals on one 'Kendrapara Rasabali' platform. Shri Mohanty organized a meeting with the producer group and some members attended. (Because of Covid, not many could be reached or invited.)

You can read more here- Kendrapara Rasabali

Today’s @prameyaodia newspaper features #Rasabali.
This traditional sweet dish of #Odisha originated in #Kendrapada;
Being offered from centuries @ #Baladevjew Temple.#chhena #temple #culture #tradition

We hope to see it as #OdishaGI #GITag & in list of #GIsofIndia soon👍🏻 pic.twitter.com/OzLwvT9ztd

— Dr. Anita Sabat (@anitaexplorer) July 28, 2020

Last month, this writer e-met Smt. Shivani, a food entrepreneur from Navi Mumbai. In the Odisha Corporate Foundation (OCF) WhatsApp group, she had posted a menu of their upcoming restaurant- Rasabali, in Mumbai.

Rasabali- What a sweet name for a resturant!

It is always great to find such initiatives. This is what Rasabali's initial draft menu-card looked like-

The 'King of Sweets' was absent!

This writer requested inclusion of Rasagola too.

We communicated via messages and over phone-calls.

Smt. Shivani accepted request for Rasagola, and this is what the menu-card of Rasabali restaurant looks like now-

Truly happy that Rasagola is a part of Rasabali restaurant's dishes!

Rasabali restaurant has been inaugurated on 14th April, 2021, on the auspicious Odia New Year day i.e. on Maha Bishuba Sankranti, also called the Pana Sankranti.

If you are in Mumbai, you can place order from Rasabali for some authentic Odia food prepared with love and care by skilled Odia cooks. They deliver all across Mumbai.

Today, when this writer saw the super-rich menu-card of Rosy's Kitchen on the same OCF platform, there had to be instant connection with Smt. Saroja. 

Recently, she was in the news for having sent Odia food to Bollywood celebrities, Kajol and Ajay Devgn. 

Request for updating some spellings in the menu-card has been made. 

Smt. Saroja has assured that she will ensure spellings update to Rasagola, Rasabali, Chhenapoda among others.

Note- The above is just one of the pages- section of the Special Pitha- in the menu-card of Rosy's Kitchen. There are 8 more pages with many more Odia dishes.

When you are in Bhubaneswar, do try out Rosy's Kitchen for lip-smacking, authentic Odia food.

Urging all those who are reading this and to all those who are selling/dealing with such local products, to please ensure proper representation of our dishes and state, Odisha.

I’m participating in the April #A2ZChallenge #BlogchatterA2Z

R For- Rasabali, Rasagola, Rasgulla

I am writing A-Z posts about Rasagola- 26 #RasagolaA2Z posts this April :

A- A To Z of Rasagola - April 1- Utkala Dibasa

B- Blatant Lies And Biased Reports About Rasgulla Invention

C- Cottage-Cheese, Chhena And Comments About Rasgulla

D- Rasgulla Day - Rasagola Dibasa Celebration

E- Odisha Rasagola At Exhibitions And Events

F- Facts, Fake News, And False Information About Rasgulla

G- GI Tags of Odisha And Odisha Rasagola

H- Historical Evidence of Rasgulla And Research

I- Indigenous Knowledge, IPR, Rasgulla And Indian Sweets

J- Lord Jagannatha's Favourite Sweet & Food

K- Khirmohan And Rasagola

L- List of Lunar & Solar Indian New Year Days

M- Maha Bishuba Sankranti Or Pana Sankranti

N- Name Rasgulla, Niladri Bije And New Year Wishes

O- Odisha Art And Sweet- Pattachitra And Rasgulla 

P- Proposal to Odisha Government For Rasagola And GI Celebration

Q- Quiz About Rasgulla 

This sincere attempt is to share information about Rasagola/Rasgulla and #EndRasgullaDebate.

Rasagola is a part of Odisha's traditional knowledge, continuing tradition, cultural heritage and identity.  

More Rasagola posts here.
This is my fifth #A2Z Challenge, and my last four challenges have been about Odisha, India. 

My previous #AToZChallenge posts here.

Are you aware of Rasagola/Rasgulla? Did you know that Rasgulla originated in Odisha? 

Please do share any information about Rasgulla that you may have and which you feel must be documented and shared so that all are aware.