New Delhi, Jan. 24 -- Two winters ago, Senjuti Mahato decided to carry out an experiment. The 41-year-old advertising professional is the co-founder of the 2020 artisanal food brand Earth Story Farms (ESF) in Kolkata, that specialises in nolen gur - Bengal's beloved date palm jaggery. Mahato wanted to understand the soil science and weather patterns that profoundly influence the flavour of the region's unique jaggery in order to produce it in a small batch for the season.

From late November to early February, nolen gur finds a spot on the shelves of every sweet shop in Bengal. Home cooks turn it into treats like pithe and payesh. But following the pandemic, and thanks to social media, it has found a newfound fascination outside the regio...