Say Cheese, It’s Chhena Poda Dibasa Again, Odisha Intensifies GI Tag Demand & How!
Chhena poda is an Indian cheese treat from the state of Odisha. In Odia, chhena poda means “baked cheese.” The sweet and succulent Chhenapoda, which has tickled the taste bud of every Odia, has a reason to smile at itself today. It’s its birthday.
Yes, it is Chhenapoda Dibasa today, the birthday of the sweet dish which is celebrated on the birth anniversary of its creator, Sudarshan Sahu.
To step up campaign for GI tag for Odisha’s accidental dessert Chhena Poda, several programmes are being organised in the Odisha capital on Tuesday.
People from all walks of life organized programmes and savoured Chhena Poda made from well-kneaded cottage cheese.
Accidental because Sudarshan Sahu, who owned a sweet shop at Dasapalla in Nayagarh, left sugar-infused chhena or cottage cheese with cardamon and cashew seasonings in a charcoal oven overnight and discovered an exquisitely delicious delicacy, which gave the state a distinct identity and flavour, the following morning. He slowly perfected Chhena Poda, which literally means burnt cheese, with a caramelised crust. By baking it wrapped in sal leaves, he gave the cardamom-scented cottage cheesecake a distinct aroma.
It brought him a lot of fame over the years, with the then Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru also appreciating the dish.
Odias picked April 11 to celebrate the dessert as a tribute to its creator on his birth anniversary.
The popularity and demand of the dish are growing across the globe with each passing day. The dessert has helped Nayagarh earn a distinct identity on the world map. Nayagarh district administration has already applied for the Geographical Indication (GI) tag of Chhenapoda.
Meanwhile, Nayagarh MLA Arun Sahoo has also met Union MSME Minister and demanded to accord Chhanapoda the GI tag.
“The origin of Chhenapoda is Nayagarh. Everybody knows that Sudarshan is the creator of the delicacy. Application has been submitted seeking GI tag for the delicious dish. There is every possibility that Nayagarh will get the GI tag for Chhenapoda,” said Sahoo.
Moreover, with several organisations intensifying their demands for providing GI tag to Chhenapoda, the initiative has gathered momentum.
