Odisha wins GI tag, but popularising its rasagola won't be a piece of cake

The culinary delight has seen a long-drawn-out battle with West Bengal

On August 15, Tillottama Behera stepped into Kar and Brothers, in Odisha’s Salepur town, hoping to buy rasagola on her way to celebrate the festival of Rakshabandhan. But the disappointed customer had to settle for other sweets after being told that they had run out — by 11 in the morning. 

"Rasagola was completely sold out not only in our Salepur outlet but in our outlets in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar because of the simultaneous celebration of Rakshabandhan and Independence Day,” exclaims a delighted Sai Sibani Kar, director at Kar and Brothers. Approximately 40,000 syrupy balls of different sizes were sold