English
বাংলা
The story
Meherpur, on the western border, has two sweets that people from outside the district ask for by name: sabitri and its companion, ras kadam. Both are credited to Basudeb Saha, who is said to have started making sabitri in 1861 at his home in the Bara Bazar area of Meherpur town, near the local zamindar's house, where it was served to important guests. He named it after Sati Sabitri, the figure from mythology known for her devotion and purity.
Unlike most Bengali sweets, sabitri is not served in syrup. It is made from milk that is boiled for a long time at a carefully held heat until it reduces to thick milk solids (chanchi), then cooked with sugar and shaped. The result looks a little like a chomchom but is longer and flatter, and it is moist inside without being syrupy. Because it holds so little liquid, it keeps far longer than chhana sweets, which is one reason it became a popular gift to carry to relatives. The family says it still collects fresh milk every morning, boils it over a wood fire and makes the sweet the next day, without refrigerating the milk.
The business, known as Basudeb Grand Sons, is now run by Basudeb's grandson. The family does not hire outside workers, and recent reports put daily output at only a few dozen kilograms, limited by milk supply and hands. The Meherpur district administration applied for GI status in 2024, and sabitri received its certificate from the Department of Patents, Designs and Trademarks in December 2025.
How to spot the real Meherpur sabitri sweet
Genuine sabitri is firm but not hard, with a dense, slightly grainy bite and a rich taste of long-cooked milk. It should be dry to the touch with no syrup in the box. Pieces are elongated and somewhat flat rather than round. A rubbery texture, a floury or starchy taste, a powdered-milk flavour or an oily surface suggest it was not made the traditional way. Supply from the original family shop is small, so be cautious of anyone offering large quantities at short notice, and ask the seller directly where the sweets were bought and on what date.
Buying tips
Sabitri is one of the easier Bangladeshi sweets to send by courier because it has no syrup, but ask when it was made and whether it comes in a sealed box. Ras kadam from the same shop makes a natural pairing; buying both from one seller saves a second delivery charge, since each shop on Midmart sets and charges its own delivery. Midmart itself never takes payment or arranges delivery; the seller agrees both with you directly.
Keeping it fresh
Keep sabitri in a closed container in a cool, dry place. Local accounts say it keeps its flavour for about a week at room temperature and much longer in the fridge, but treat that as a guide and check the smell and texture before eating. Bring refrigerated pieces back to room temperature before serving.
Find Meherpur sabitri sweet on Midmart
Shops from where it is made
No shop from Meherpur is on Midmart yet.
Every shop on Midmart collects payment its own way and arranges its own delivery — Midmart never handles your money or your parcel. Delivery is charged per shop: order from three shops and you pay three delivery charges.
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