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Krishna Chandra Das was the only issue of Nabin Chandra
Das. He is popularly known as K.C. Das – the unrivalled king
in the world of sweets. He had inherited his father's skill
and finesse in preparing sweets. Moreover, he was a brilliant
innovator. He made 'Rosomalai' by treating Rosogolla with
dense milk while his father was alive. Despite its novity
and superb taste, 'Rosomalai' was eclipsed at that time
by
the tremendous popularity of 'Rosogolla' which was reigning
supreme. But Krishna Chandra Das was desperate to preserve
the difference of Rosomalai as an exclusive sweet. So, he
set up a new shop at Jorasanko in 1930. In the interim,
Nabin Chandra Das's shop shifted its address twice - at the north of Raja Ballabh Street and then towards
its south in a small, unimpressive house. Today, that house has given way to a palatial building which is
the residence of the descendants of Nabin Chandra Das. After
the demise of Nabin Chandra, Krisha Chandra's sons viz.
Tarini Charan, Bama Charan and Ambika Charan used to look
after the original shop. However, the shop was later closed
down on account of some legal hassles.
People outside Calcutta were very eager to have a taste
of 'Rosogolla'. But the earthen vessels had many inconveniences
to bring 'Rosogollas' from Calcutta. They are frail and could
not be sent elsewhere by bearers. Krishna Chandra realized
that if the sweets are packed in some metallic container,
it would not diminish either the taste or aroma of the Rosogollas.
Soon, he thought of a device and did not use any heavy container
for that purpose. Thus came the famous tinned Rosogollas'
of K.C. Das, which became popular not only in India but was sent
abroad in large quantities.
K.C. Das created a sensation in the world of sweets and
confectioneries. Their popularity was far-flung. All the sweetmeats in
K.C. Das's
shop, which are prepared from milk, have cow's milk as their
source. The posset or casein made from buffalo's milk, cannot
make such palatable sweets as those made
from cow's milk. The sweets from the farmer's milk are also
very hard. Even curd and sandesh made from buffalo's milk,
are not fine enough or soothing to the taste-buds. Au reste, there are umpteen syrup sweets in
K.C. Das's shop, such as 'Singara', 'Nimki', 'Lalmohan', 'Chamcham',
'Mihidana', 'Seeta Bhog', 'Jilipi', 'Amriti', 'Darbesh', 'Ksheermohan',
'Rosomalai' etc. The shop also sells curds and 'Sandesh'.
Another remarkable feature of K.C. Das's shop is the 'Diabetic
Sweet' which has impressed the diabetic patients highly.
The milk for K.C. Das's factory, comes from some renowned
cow-sheds. Clarified butter/ghee made from cow's milk, comes
from Khurza in U.P. Besides, the factory has its own arrangements
of making ghee from the liquid extracted from posset.
K.C. Das is in Calcutta since antiquity (for 10/11 generations).
During this time, they have had interactions and exchange
of techniques with different Gharanas of sweetmeats. As a result, the original mode and style of preparing sweets
have undergone several changes and novelty in cuisine anent
to sweets, have been really spectacular. Above all, K.C.
Das's
factory has an impeccably scientific and hygienic method
of making sweets. It takes utmost care about neatness –
such as protection from files and other germ-carriers. The
factory also has an improved technology for making posset
or casein from milk. The succeeding stages in making sweets
are not done manually. After they are made, the sweets come
on loaded trucks to the K.C. Das shop at Dharmatala. K.C.
Das
is the only establishment in the kingdom of sweets, where
sweetmeats are not made on red-hot ovens but with the help
of steam.
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