New Delhi/Nayagarh: Odisha’s beloved traditional dessert, Chhenapoda, often described as India’s own ‘burnt cheesecake’, is poised to receive a Geographical Indication (GI) tag soon.
Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal informed Puri MP Sambit Patra that the GI application for Chhena Poda has been registered. The communication also confirmed that authorities will consider the case during the Consultative Group meeting scheduled for May 28 and 29. A final decision is expected soon thereafter.
“I understand the importance of this traditional delicacy and the deep association it has with the people of Odisha, especially the Nayagarh region of the state. Regarding the issue of GI tag for the Chhenapoda, I would like to inform you that application of Gi tag for Chhenapoda has been registered with application number 1067 and Consultative Group Meeting for the same has been fixed on May 28 and 29, 2026. After this, the application will be further processed as per rules framed under GI of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act. 1999, at the earliest,” the Union Minister said.
BJP MP Sambit Patra had earlier urged the minister to expedite the process.
The GI tag would officially link the sweet to its place of origin in Nayagarh district, protecting its authenticity, boosting its market value, and preventing imitation similar to other iconic Indian products like Odisha Rasagola.
Chhenapoda is a caramelised, baked cottage cheese dessert with a distinctive golden-brown crust, soft spongy interior, and subtle smoky flavour from traditional wood-fired ovens. It is prepared by mixing fresh chhena (cheese) with sugar, cardamom, and cashew nuts, then baking the mixture, often wrapped in sal leaves for added aroma.
The sweet’s story traces back to around 1945 in Daspalla, a town in Nayagarh district. Though the state has been officially celebrating Chhenapoda Dibasa on April 11 since 2022, Daspalla sweet-makers have been skipping the occasion, maintaining that it should be observed on December 31, the death anniversary of Bidyadhar Sahoo, whose “experiment” with leftover chhena (cottage cheese) led to the creation of the dessert.
There has been a debate over who first baked the iconic dessert, Bidyadhar Sahoo or his son Sudarshan Sahoo.
Some recent local research and family accounts suggest the initial experiment may have involved his father, but Sudarshan played a key role in popularising and commercialising it in Nayagarh town.
