Babarsa: An underrated sweetmeat of Bengal

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INTRODUCTION

Sweets constitute an extensive part of the gastronomic culture of the Bengalis, known as “mishti” in Bengali. Sweets are not only desserts but form an integral part of celebrations, festivals and daily life  of the Bengalis where sweets enjoy a rich and celebrated history, rooted in the culture of the region. The abundance of sweetmeats in the Bengali cuisine is linked to a historical narrative. Ancient Bengal was known as “GaudaBanga” where the word ‘Gauda’ is believed to have originated from “gur” or jaggery. During the Gupta era, the practice of making refined sugar was popularized leading to widespread sugarcane cultivation around the region of GaudaBanga. So the practice of making sugar influenced the culinary culture of the Bengalis and now Bengal has a wide variety of sweets in its cuisine. That is why Bengal is considered the sweetest part of India. Rosogolla, Sandesh, Rasmalai, Mishti Doi, Pantua etc. are some of the most prominent sweetmeats of Bengal and are widely available throughout the state. In addition to this, there are some regional sweets rooted in the regional traditions and history of that specific region. For example Shaktigarh’s Lyangcha, Jayanagar’s Moa, Berhampur’s Channa Bora, Bardhhaman’s Sitabhog and Mihidana and many more. One such region specific confection was Babarsa, originating in the district of Midnapore in West Bengal.

Historical Origin of Babarsa

This lesser-known desert, often eclipsed by the presence of other famous sweets has a historical legacy of 250 years. Originating from the town of Khirpai in Paschim Mednipur, Babarsa is not just a sweetmeat but entails a historical legacy rooted in traditions and culinary excellence. The history of  Babarsa along with its cultural connotation is quite fascinating where two competing narratives seek to explain  its historical origin and nomenclature. The first narrative is its link to Edward Barbarasa, dating back to the 18th century and it is also the most widely accepted anecdote of this confection. The town of Khirpai(also referred to as Kshirpai) during the period of 1740-50 was going through a chaotic situation as troupes of Maratha raiders known as bargis attacked the town. The bargis carried out sabotage across the town, causing trouble in the lives of the normal residents. Fearing for their lives, many residents began to flee from their homeland. During this time of distress, an Englishman named Edward Barbarasa came to their rescue. He intervened and successfully drove the bargis out of that place, restoring peace to Khirpai. As a token of gratitude for saving the town, a local sweet maker invented a new dessert with the help of flour ,ghee ,milk and honey and named it Babarsa in honor of Edward Barbarasa.

Another less accepted  theory about Babarsa was its link with the Mughal Emperor Babur. According to this version of the story, this sweet was presented to Babur by some of his subjects. Babur was greatly impressed by the taste and praised the dessert. So, due to this, the sweet was named Babarsa after the Mughal emperor. But this story lacks clarity and historical evidence and it is refuted by historians as they consider it as a folklore. The Edward Barbarasa narrative is more credible due to its concrete historical evidence with proper date and region.

Preparation of this Delicacy

The sweet is made from a simple combination of four ingredients including  maida (refined flour), milk, ghee and honey. At first, the maida is generally mixed with milk creating a smooth batter. Then, this batter is carefully dripped into the boiling ghee to let it fry, performed by a skilled hand to get a lattice-like shape. It is done by people having expertise in this matter to get that perfect shape. After it gets golden brown, it is taken from the frying pan and kept aside to retain its crispy texture. It is only soaked into the honey( sugar syrup is used presently) when it is served to people. It is also sometimes garnished with cashew nut powder to enhance its taste.

Babarsa is often compared to a famous Rajasthani delicacy called Ghewar. These two desserts are quite similar to each other in terms of appearance and preparation, making it difficult to distinguish between the two. Only difference that sets apart Babarsa from Ghewar is its serving method. Ghewar is immedietly dipped into the sugar syrup after being fried while Babarsa remains dry until it is served, retaining its crispy texture when the honey or sugar syrup is poured. Unlike Babarsa, Ghewar is quite a prominent delicacy originating from Jaipur,Rajasthan and is highly a demanding delicacy during festivals. It is widely avaialble across Rajasthan and north India while Babarsa remains locally confined to only one region, that is, Khirpai.

Decline and Challenges Faced

Despite its rich historical significance and unique preparation along with the distinctive taste, Babarsa failed to get the recognition outside the town of Khirpai,restricting its availabilty to the people. Several reasons are responsible for its limited exposure. The high cost of traditional ingredients like honey and ghee has led the sweet makers to replace it with cheaper alternatives like Dalda and sugar syrup. The cashew nut powder is also skipped to cut down high expenses. But the shift to cheaper alternatives has led to the decline in taste and authenticity. The making process is surely  labour-intensive,requiring skill,patience and time, due to which  many sweet makers  stopped making Babarsa. Another reason for its decline is its low profit margins which discouraged the younger generations to keep the legacy of the sweet alive.

Conclusion

In spite of the challenges faced, efforts are being taken to preserve Babarsa’s uniqueness and legacy. Very few sweet shops in Khirpai  are striving to keep the tradition alive by making Babarsa using the traditional ingredients and methods. New innovative forms are also undertaken by the sweet shops to cater to the modern generations. One such innovation is the Malai Babarsa, giving it a attractive name and taste. Recently, speculations about gaining a GI tag  aroused a great deal of  interest among the local people to advocate for its promotion. Apart from this, social media platforms are equally trying to spread the story of Babarsa so that it could reach out to a wider audience. Babarsa is not just a mere delicacy but a repository of history, traditions and culinary creativity, signifying a connection to the past. Its history as we discussed is intertwined with  local and foreign influences making it a culinary heritage of Bengal. Bengal, as we know, is widely renowned for its rich dessert heritage across the global. In this regard, apart from being a exquisite delicacy ,Babarsa deserves a special recognition as a symbol of  community and tradition.

REFERENCES

1.History And Origin Of Babarsa Sweet: Bengal’s Legacy And The Role Of Edward Babarasa. Accessed on July 19,2025. https://www.slurrp.com/article/history-and-origin-of-babarsa-sweet-bengals-legacy-and-the-role-of-edward-babarasa-1727767583832

2.Babarsa- Bengal’s answer to Ghewar. Accessed on July 19,2025. https://moha-mushkil.com/babarsa-sweet-bengal-midnapore/

3.Babarsa from Khirpai, Bengal, finds its doppelganger in Ghevar, a Rajasthani specialty – GetBengal story. Accessed on July 20,2025. https://www.getbengal.com/details/babarsa-from-khirpai-bengal-finds-its-doppelganger-in-ghevar-a-rajsthani-speciality-getbengal-story

4.The Essence of Bengal’s Ethnic Sweetmeats: An Exploratory Journey through History, Tradition, and Culture. Accessed on July 20,2025. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1155/2023/5008420

5. Babarsa. Accessed on July 19,2025. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babarsa

6. প্রচারের অভাব, হারিয়ে যাচ্ছে বাবরসা. Accessed on July 20,2025. https://web.archive.org/web/20171215001340/http://bangla.eenaduindia.com/PaschimMedinipur/OthersInPaschimMedinipur/2017/10/07225916/Lack-of-publicity-missing-of-Babarsha-sweet.vpf

7. Malai Babarsa Sweet: নতুন ধরনের মিষ্টি ‘মালাই বাবরসা’ নিয়ে হাজির মেদিনীপুরের ব্যবসায়ী দুই বোন. Accessed on July 21,2025. https://www.etvbharat.com/bengali/west-bengal/state/paschim-medinipur/midnapore-siblings-come-up-with-new-type-of-sweet-malai-babarsa/wb20230315172851678678537