How to Order
You can order direct via Whatsapp. Now delivering in selected cities only.
We are currently catering only within Kolkata pincode. For outstation delivery, courier charges shall be extra.
A joint initiative by Annapurna Agro Industries and Turiyo Foundation to empower the local women community and revive a dying art in its most authentic form yet.
Gohona Bori
Gohona Bori, is an exquisite edible food-art from Purbo Medinipur in West Bengal. It’s ornamental shape with designer motifs makes the snack very unique. Made from lentil and quality poppy seeds, using authentic 100% manual grinding and battering techniques, OLONKAR Gohona Bori restores the lost art of making the product every winter.
If we look back in Bengal’s rich culinary history, Gohona Bori was a status symbol. In PURBA MIDNAPUR, the parents of the bride used to give “Gohona-Bori” to their daughter to carry it alongside her to her new home, after marriage. It was a common munching experience for the children, too. “Gohona Bori”, itself still is a delicacy to eat. An OLONKAR, which was and is still dazzling with all its glory.
Consumption Occasions
Starting a Traditional Bengali Meal. Spice up the Ghee-Rice
Binging on a new web-series. Munch along. With or without the garnish
Pair up your single malt by the fireside. Enjoy the crunch
Experts Speak
How it is made
Step 1
The Biuli’r Dal must be cleaned and washed by hand thoroughly, and left overnight, till they turn tender.
Step 2
Ground to paste using traditional sheel-nora, two rounds are needed till the right texture is achieved
Step 3
Whisked by skilled hands, the tough batter turns soft and rises. Adding water at this stage will spoil the blend.
Step 4
A very thin layer of poppy seeds on traditional brass thalis acts as the canvas that will hold the Gohona-bori
Step 5
The batter is extruded through specially prepared piped-cloths. The Designs are optimised for drying times and fragility.
Step 6
Dried over two days, under the perfect lazy winter sun and chilled air, the boris turn pristine white. They are shaken loose and are now ready to be packed.
Chauddhachuli Community at Work
Gohona Bori is perhaps the most symbolic embodiment of how food can represent cultural identity. This community project is being executed by TURIYO FOUNDATION to revive the tradition among the younger generation of women in the village and its surroundings while contributing to their economic independence.
Our vision is to retain the authentic taste and feel of the product using 100% traditional production techniques. Using process innovation to enable scale-up and smarter packaging design to pique urban consumer curiosity, the foundation team hopes to someday deliver the magic of Gohona Bori across borders.
A Dying Art
Making Gohona Bori is an exclusive food art created and nurtured by the local women of PURBA MIDNAPUR for more than a hundred years now. In the beginning, it was used as art made from pure love and affection to share with the close ones in the family.
Rabindranath Tagore first tasted Gohoan Bori in the 1930’s from one of his students named Seba Maiti. He was amazed by not only its taste but with its artistic beauty. Being a food lover and connoisseur, Tagore immediately decided to visually document these fragile pieces of culinary art to display them in the KALA BHAVAN for the world to see. Afterward, eminent painter of Bengal Nandalal Bose said that Gohona Bori is the “Jewels found in the frangible box of mother Bengal.” Fine culinary art from PURBA MEDINIPUR became the pride of the whole Bengal.
It was ABANINDRANATH TAGORE who wanted to promote this exquisite form of art to the world. The designing motifs of Gohona Bori resemble the local style of ALPANA which is very much Bengali in its tradition.
