Ice Cream Sandesh and Memories of Bengali New Year

On this day we celebrate Poila Boishakh or Bengali New Year. This is supposed to be a very significat day for the entire Bengali community. The ritual being the worship of Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi for prosperity, health, longevity and well being of the family members. As a new year begins for us, we consider not only the first day of the month auspicious, but the entire month. So, here's wishing all my Bengali readers, Shubho Nobo Borsho.

I have very vivid childhood memories of Poila Boishakh. Lunch would be a grand affair, with my father taking care of the market visit that day, despite being a busy businessman. And mom, throwing in her culinary expertise in the kitchen. The occasion would never be considered grand if we Bengalis didn't have our mishti. So sweets or mithais from all over the city would be resting on our dining table, that day, since the morning. My father would make it a point, to personally drive around the city with me, early in the morning, and buy from the best of the best shops in Kolkata. My dad had a sweet tooth, so driving around early in the morning to buy mishti was a regular activty for us. As the day would pass, we would have the house filled with guests. Uncles in kurta pyajamas and aunties in sarees. But, in our generation, celebrating Poila Boishakh is different. I don't dress in a saree and start cooking since the morning. We go out for a typical Bengali lunch. Sometimes, just the two of us, and sometimes accompanied by friends. So life is easier now. Yet, at times I miss my childhood days and the ways of celebrations then. Hence, this year, I wanted to do something different, something I have never done on a Bengali New Year before. I made mishti at home.

Ice Cream Sandesh is a common and popular sweet across all sweet shops in Kolkata. Until now, we have always bought it from one of the shops. This time, making it and seeing my family enjoying it, was a different feeling altogether.