The eternal story of Bengali sweets

The sweet that cannot be missed in Bengali gatherings, fairs or any festival is the juicy jilapi. The heavenly feeling that comes with the first bite of hot jilapi is incomparable to any other sweet. Not only in its taste, but also in its twisted shape there is a strange attraction hidden. The crispy coating on top and the sugar veins or jaggery juice inside—the combination of these two makes jilapi. Rice powder, dal or flour yeast is twisted and fried in boiling oil with the magic of perfect hands. Then it is directly dipped in hot juice. Jilapi is not only made of ordinary sugar syrup, the taste of Nalen jaggery or Shahi jilapi is also incomparable.

From the Baisakhi fair in the village to the elite Iftar markets in the city—Jilapi reigns everywhere. During Ramadan, if there is no hot jilapi on the iftar table, the whole arrangement seems incomplete. Again, on a rainy afternoon, a cup of steaming tea with a steaming cup of jilapi is a perfect match. Even though many innovations have come in the world of sweets with the times, the appeal of jilapi has not diminished even a little. It is not just a sweet, but a sweet symbol of Bengali passion, culture and hospitality.