5 Beloved Indian Sweets That Got GI Tags in 2025 & the Stories Behind Their Flavours

Some sweets arrive with a season. Others arrive with memory, folded into festivals, family rituals, and mishti (traditional Bengali sweets) shopfronts you return to year after year. In 2025, five such Indian sweets received a Geographical Indication (GI) tag, formally recognising flavours people have trusted long before they were officially documented.

Advertisment

Add The Better India As A Trusted Source

• Stories
• Visual Stories

From winter-only sandesh shaped by nolen gur (date palm jaggery) to a humble jaggery powder rooted in Tamil Nadu’s farming traditions, these GI-tagged sweets tell stories of place, patience, and people. 

Four of them come from West Bengal alone, reflecting the state’s enduring relationship with chhena (fresh acid-set cheese), jaggery, and festive confectionery passed down across generations.

1. Nolen gur-er sandesh, West Bengal

Nolen gur-er sandesh is made with fresh chhena, a soft acid-set cheese, which is then gently cooked with liquid date palm jaggery known as nolen gur. 

Harvested from date palms around Bardhaman, the jaggery gives the sandesh its signature amber colour and earthy sweetness. The delicacy has a soft, melt-in-the-mouth texture paired with a warm caramel aroma.

Traditionally enjoyed during winter, it is widely available at Kolkata’s sweet shops. At home, it can be prepared by slowly simmering chhena with melted nolen gur and a pinch of cardamom.

2. Murshidabad chhanabora, West Bengal

This sweet is made from fresh chhena shaped into small rounds. These are lightly fried to form a delicate crust before being soaked in sugar syrup.

Unlike rosogolla (spongy chhena balls soaked in sugar syrup), chhanabora has a gently chewy centre with a caramelised outer layer. Often flavoured with cardamom or rose water, the sweet reflects culinary influences from the Mughal era.

Today, GI-certified chhanabora can be found in sweet shops across Kolkata and Siliguri.

3. Bishnupur motichoor laddu, West Bengal

Bishnupur motichoor laddu comes from the temple town of Bishnupur in Bankura district. 

What sets it apart is the use of fine motichoor pearls made from piyal (Indian almond tree) seed flour instead of the usual gram flour. These tiny droplets are deep-fried in ghee, scented with cardamom, and then hand-rolled into soft laddus.

Closely linked to local rituals and festivals, the sweet traces its roots back to the Malla dynasty. Authentic versions can now be found at select GI-certified sweet houses in West Bengal.

4. Kamarpukur sada bonde, West Bengal

Kamarpukur Sada Bonde originates in the village of Kamarpukur.

These pale, airy bonde (fried sweet batter droplets) are made from a simple wheat-flour batter, deep-fried until crisp on the outside and soft within, then lightly soaked in sugar syrup.

Larger and fluffier than boondi (small fried gram flour pearls), sada bonde are eaten as individual sweet bites and are commonly prepared for festivals and family gatherings. They are now available in GI-certified sweet boxes and seasonal markets across Kolkata and nearby towns.

5. Kavindapadi nattu sakkarai — Tamil Nadu

Kavindapadi nattu sakkarai (traditional jaggery) is made by crushing fresh sugarcane and slow-boiling the juice over a wood fire.

This chemical-free jaggery is rich in minerals such as iron, magnesium, potassium, and calcium. Its deep golden-brown colour and caramel aroma make it a staple in Tamil households, where it is used in sweets, herbal drinks, coffee, and ceremonial foods.

The craft has been preserved by local farmers in Kavindapadi for generations. Today, it is available in organic stores and can also be ordered directly from GI-certified producers.

Sources

‘What is Nolen Gurer Shondesh from West Bengal which bagged the GI Tag?’: by Ahana Bhattacharya for The CSR Journal, Published on 8 April 2025. 

‘From Nolen Gur Sandesh To Bishnupur’s Motichoor Laddoo, 7 Items From West Bengal Get GI Tag’: by Tashika Tyagi for Curly Tales, Published on 5 April 2025. 

‘After sada bonde, Bishnupur’s motichoor laddu too gets GI tag’: by The Statesman, Published on 6 April 2025. 

‘Kamarpukur Sada Bode gets GI tag!’: by Kamarpukur Pallimangal Society, Published on 4 April 2025.

‘Five more products from Tamil Nadu get GI tag’: by DTNEXT Bureau for DT Next, Published on 3 December 2025.