OSUAE

Description:

Chhena poda : is the quintessential cheese dessert from the state of Odisha in eastern India. Chhena poda literally means burnt cheese in Odia. It is made of well-kneaded homemade cottage cheese or chhena, sugar, cashew nuts and raisins, and is baked for several hours until it browns. Chhena poda is the only well known Indian dessert whose flavor is predominantly derived from the caramelization of sugar.

History

It is said that chhena poda originated in the Odia town of Nayagarh in the first half of the twentieth century. The owner of a confectionery, a certain Bidyadhar Sahoo decided to add sugar and seasonings to leftover cottage cheese one night, and leave it in an oven that was still warm from earlier use. The next day, he was pleasantly surprised to find out what a scrumptious dessert he had created. Chhena poda soon became popular throughout Odisha. Today, it is also made in West Bengal and elsewhere in India.


Popularity

Chhena poda is usually made at home during traditional festivals in Odisha, such as Durga Puja. It is also served in small traditional roadside stalls and confectioneries throughout the state along with other delicacies such as rasagolla. Since the mid-eighties, it has gradually found its place in restaurant menus across Odisha. After losing out to another traditional Odia sweet, rasagolla to West Bengal, the Odisha Milk Federation is investing heavily in mass producing and popularizing this delicacy, determined not to let this happen again