Famous Sweets of West Bengal, Lomba Langcha and Murabba
If I were to introduce you to Tarapith’s famous sweet, the Lomba Langcha, I’d say it’s like meeting the extended family of Gulab Jamun. Picture this: the Langcha, with its roots deeply embedded in West Bengal, is akin to a cousin of the beloved Gulab Jamun. But then, you meet the Lomba Langcha – the elder, taller sibling of the Langcha family.
“Lomba” translates to “long,” and true to its name, these Tarapith delights have stretched themselves a little further than your usual Langchas. Think of them as the slightly more ambitious, “head held high” members of the clan! And as if one spelling wasn’t enough, they’re also known by other playful names like “Lyangcha” and “Lemcha” – because who doesn’t love a little twist?
Famous Sweets of West Bengal-Tarapither Langcha – Photo Credit Sutanu Mukherjee – https://www.flickr.com/photos/sutanu_m/
When it comes to famous sweets of West Bengal, Tarapith offers a mouth-watering delicacy that every visitor simply must try – the iconic Langcha. A stop at Tarapith is incomplete without pausing to savour this sweet treat, which has become a specialty of the region. Tarapith is known for its rich spiritual heritage, and equally enticing is its culinary gem: the Langcha. This deep-fried delicacy demands attention—and a taste.
The origins of the Langcha trace back to Shaktigarh in the Burdwan district of West Bengal, a place renowned for its rich contributions to Bengali sweets. Langchas are crafted from soft, fresh cottage cheese (chhena), kneaded into a dough that’s shaped and rolled to perfection. After frying, these delights are left to rest in a bath of fragrant sugar syrup long enough that gives them their signature taste and texture, allowing each bite to be rich, sweet, and satisfyingly soft.
I vividly remember those Diwali days when Mom would make these irresistible treats. The soaking period always felt like sheer torture! I’d hover around the kitchen, catching whiffs of that sugary aroma, but Mom held firm—no tasting until she deemed the soaking “just right.” Her rules were unbreakable, and each minute stretched like an eternity.
What sets the langcha of Tarapith apart is its length. Known as lomba langcha – with “lomba” meaning “long” in Bengali – these sweets can measure anywhere between 4 to 6 inches. True to its name, this elongated version of the langcha has become a standout in Tarapith’s culinary scene. This distinctive shape is part of the charm, giving the Tarapith langcha its celebrated status among the sweets of West Bengal attracting devotees of Bengali sweets from far and wide.
West Bengal Sweets Langcha
You can learn to make langcha from Rumela Roy’s food blog. It has elaborate step by step procedure here: Langcha – Pantua. So, go to Tarapith with the single minded focus to devour the long langchas or lomba langcha with blessings of Ma Kali!
Note: In Bengali, Gulab Jamun is known as Kalo Jam or Pantua, which is similar to gulab jamun, and could be called a Bengali variant of that dish. Ledikeni, a variation of Pantua, is another variant of gulab jamun.
Suri’s Morabba-famous sweet of West Bengal
At Suri we had the famous ‘morabba’. Morabba (also spelled as murabba) are pieces of fruits or vegetables boiled in spice flavoured sugar syrup. It is an Arabic word that means sweet or savoury jams.
If you find yourself in the heart of Bengal, don’t miss the chance to taste one of its most famous sweets—the Morabba of Siuri, a delicacy with origins steeped in history and a delightful twist on traditional fruit preserves.
The term Morabba is derived from Murabba, a word that refers to sweet fruit preserves popular across regions from the Caucasus to Central Asia, South Asia, and the Middle East. Traditionally crafted with fruits, sugar, and spices, Bengal’s unique take on Morabba owes much to cultural influences, and perhaps, a bit of ingenuity from Bengali sweet makers.
Morabba Shop Siuri
Some say that Portuguese settlers first introduced this preservation technique to the region, as noted by author Abinash Chandra Ghosh, who once wrote that the Portuguese brought Morabba-making to India.
But in Siuri, the story has its own twist. Locals recount that Hariprasad Dey, a visionary of sorts, encountered the famous North Indian petha in Delhi in the mid-18th century. Captivated by its syrupy sweetness, Dey learned the craft directly from Delhi’s sweet makers and brought it back to Bengal, transforming it into what is now Siuri’s beloved Morabba. His great-grandson, Nandadulal Dey, affirms this tale, suggesting that Siuri’s Morabba is a testament to Bengal’s openness to flavors and traditions beyond its borders.
Another fascinating tale of Morabba’s origin is whispered by shopkeepers in Siuri. As the story goes, back in 1718, the Nawab of Siuri embarked on a grand tour of Lucknow, Benaras, and Agra. During his travels, he discovered the flavorful Morabba, a sweet preserve that captivated his taste buds with its unique blend of flavors and textures. Enchanted by this culinary art, the Nawab brought back with him expert sweet makers from Benaras, renowned for their Morabba-making skills.
Once in Siuri, these talented confectioners began experimenting with the local produce—fruits, vegetables, and roots available in the area. Over time, Morabba took on a distinctly Bengali twist, embracing the flavors and ingredients of Siuri while preserving the essence of the original technique. This blend of tradition and local innovation led to varieties of Morabba.
Morabba pieces
Today, Siuri’s Morabba stands out as an unusual yet irresistible treat, made from an array of ingredients—everything from potol (pointed gourd) to bel (wood apple), chal kumro (ash gourd), and amloki (Indian gooseberry). This innovation gives the Morabba a distinctive regional charm that appeals to both locals and travelers. They cost around 150INR per kilo.
From here I picked up some of the morabba varieties and it goes well with Indian bread. There are a couple of shops selling different types of murabba, right next to the main bus stand of Siuri.
Shotomuli Murabba in Suri (Siuri)
When in Siuri, one sweet that you simply must try is the Shotomuli Murabba. Highly prized here, this delicacy is crafted from the Shotomuli root, also known as Shatawari (Asparagus racemosus). This creeping perennial shrub, brimming with thorny branches and a wealth of whitish tubers, has earned its name in Bangla, Shotomuli, meaning “plant of numerous roots.”
The journey of Shotomuli from forest to sweet shop is quite a story. Adivasi communities, especially the Santhals, venture into the forests around Ilambazar and Rajnagar to gather these roots, which are then handed over to the expert sweet-makers of Siuri. The process is intricate: first, the roots are boiled in plain water to soften them, then they’re simmered in a thin sugar syrup, and finally, they soak in a thick, rich syrup that gives them their signature sweetness and texture. The exact syrup consistency remains a closely guarded secret among the sweet makers, adding an air of mystery to each bite. No amount of cajoling could extract this info from them!
Murabba Siuri – Famous Sweets of West Bengal
And it’s no wonder that Shotomuli Murabba commands a premium price—around 250 INR per kilogram—but travellers and locals alike agree that it’s worth every rupee. With its delicate flavours and unique texture, Shotomuli Murabba offers a taste of Bengal that is both rare and unforgettable. So, as you wander through Siuri, make sure to experience this earthy, subtly sweet treat that’s rooted—quite literally—in the land itself.
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I am glad you are back after a long time. While I have tasted some variants of the sweets you have mentioned,I would like to know whether these are available at Bengaluru .I will look for them at Chennai.
Langcha is available but not the Lomba Langcha or Murabba. I hope you find them in Chennai.
Sweets and Bengal.. yummy
I have studied in Kharagpur…this post brought back pleasant memories!
If you are thinking about dieting then steer clear from Bengali sweets, they are too tasty and there is noway that you can stop with just one.
Bengali sweets, I find to be easier on the tummy.
Dont have a sweet tooth at all 🙂 But the fish! Do you have any pics of Shorshe maach or even Aloo Posto??? 😀 😀
Yummy! I love Bengali sweets.
Langcha, Pantua…mmm..droolworthy..love your write ups on the hidden jewels of West Bengal
the fruit looks delcious. 🙂
Hmm! Yummy sweets. Love Bengali sweets.
Wow, I have never tried either of these things, but maybe I will one of these days 🙂
The state of Bengal is world famous for the sweetmeats. Anyone who made a trip to Tarapith, was always requested to come back with Kali thakurer prosad and Langcha. Thank you bringing back the childhood memories! The photographs just compliment the article 🙂
so sweet actually so much of sweets !
I love to eat Langcha and pantua, thanks for making me remember that they still exist…..South was a tough place for bongs. 🙂
আহা হা হা – জিভে জল।
Feeling hungry… (:
Bengali sweets are my favourite
mouth-watering indeed!
Sounds delicious ! I first thought it was sausages !
yayyy..that's it..we never miss these whenever we visit Tarapith :-D..and remember lyangchas of Shkatigarh ? they are really famous..
Oh my! Langcha *drools heavily*
Yummy! I love sweets 🙂
Mouth watering photos Indrani…:)
wow. love those. wish to have it one day in bengal.
Thanks for the comments dear friends!
Hi Indu Chibber, I checked with Rumela Roy for answer to your doubt. She says: Langcha and Gulab Jamun are almost same, where langcha made of cottage cheese ( chhena), khoya and flour. But in Gulab Jamun, the main ingredients are Khoya ( dry milk ) and flour ( no cottage cheese here ) So the texture is different and the shape too.
wow… although I dont have a sweet tooth… but there is something very differently delicious about Bengali sweets that you gotta have one… reminds me of the rashagulla I had a few years back in Kalyani, Nadia.
Thanks for sharing
i love Bengali sweets-is langcha like gulabjamun?
It looks delicious and it is always fun to be introduced to foods I have never tasted before, as in the ‘langcha’. Thank you Indrani 🙂
Oh my, the sweets are so tempting. Nothing beats the tasting of food from different regions. Specially the street food 🙂
Your photos make the food very enticing!
These look delicious … Hope you had them to your hearts content 😛
They look delicious.
Everything looks yummy! Thanks for sharing, Indrani! Have a happy week!
Very tempting pics…I have eaten tarapith but didn't know its name back then!
love the mishtis of bangladesh. the first one looks like what they call chom-chom in bangladesh. yummy.
Mouth watering stuff !
Wow! what a drooling picture!! your post made me nostalgic, love it. Thanks Indrani di for mentioning my blog.
Ooh! How sinfully delicious 🙂
Sweet!
So sweet post..!
It looks delicious, Indra!
Great photo's…
Warm greetings and best wishes from Holland,
Anna ;-))
Uuuuummmmmmmm, tantalizing, yummy.
They do look good, and I've tried some other kinds of Indian sweets. A bit too sweet for me and I can't eat the whole thing, but a bite is good.
You're making me hungry! Fortunately it's lunch time here, but I doubt I'll have anything this yummy.
Looks delicious to me!! Terrific shots for the day and a fun look at your world, Indrani!! Hope you have great week!!
Bengali sweets make me drool always!