The City of Joy has wrapped within itself years of history, culture, and decade-old legacies tucked in the nooks and corners of its narrow lanes. Food is at the heart of Bengal’s Bangaliyana. And taking up a huge part of it is a bite-sized soft sponge ball dipped in sugar syrup, rosogolla. Rosogolla is more than a sweet dish for the Bengalis, it is an emotion, an item they take pride in calling exclusively their own and are ready to fight the world for it. The origin of this sugary goodness is still a debate but whether it’s Odisha or Bengal, the love for rosogolla is a constant.

Today we are looking at a man who came up with the idea of preserving this sweet in a tin can for people to enjoy them anywhere, anytime. Krishna Chandra Das, often known as K.C. Das, was a Bengali confectioner, businessman, and cultural hero of the early 20th century. With his original inventions, the “Rosso Malai” and the vacuum-packed rosogolla, K.C. Das became a legendary figure in 1930s Kolkata. His family business, K.C. Das Private Limited, was established by his son and successor Sarada Charan Das, and it was responsible for popularizing these products throughout India.

Who was K.C. Das?

K.C. Das lived from 1869 to 1934. He was the sole heir of Bengali confectioner and sweetmeat pioneer Nobin Chandra Da. Born in Bagbazar, Kolkata, in 1869, Krishna Chandra was a multifaceted enthusiast with a thirst for knowledge. He created an electric loom, and a soda fountain device, studied homeopathy in great detail, and studied both Eastern and Western classical music.

In a report by Forbes, according to legend, a friend once gave Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore a pot of rosogollas. After nibbling on it, Tagore enquired as to whether it had come from Nobin Chandra Das’ store in the north Kolkata neighbourhood of Bagbazar. It is reported that after being informed that it wasn’t, he remarked, “If you must feed me rosogollas, make sure it’s from Nobins.”

The fifth generation scions of the family are now selling Nobin’s experiment, perhaps the first one to roll balls of curdled milk and boil them in sugar syrup, under the brand name KC Das.

Krishna Chandra first established a mechanical and scientific workshop in Bagbazar because of his intense love of scientific advancements and equipment. His main objective was to create new technology to update and modernise the Bengali sweet. Sadly, Khridmoni Devi, his mother, passionately disagreed with the notion of redefining Nobin Chandra Das’ confectionary in the context of research and exploration. This inspired Krishna Chandra to leave his father’s confectionery and launch a unique venture under his own name as an addition to the family business. His goal of incorporating scientific techniques was quickly accomplished and rewarded with commercial and technological success. “Rosogolla” is arguably largely recognised as the nation’s sweet thanks to K.C. Das’s pioneering work.

Taking the creation forward

Dhiman Das, who joined K C Das as a director in 1993 at the young age of 21, remembers struggling to keep the company from shattering to the ground. Rosogulla has captivated Bengalis with a sweet craving over the past 150 years, who today view no wedding, celebration, or feast as complete without the sweet on the menu. Additionally, after being canned in 1930 by K C Das, who took over the business from his father N C Das, rosogulla crossed the world.

The development of “Rosomalai” and the launch of canned rosogolla in the year 1930, which became enduring favourites, were Krishna Chandra’s key contributions. In 1930, Krishna Chandra and his youngest eager son Sarada Charan Das started a new shop at Jora Sanko to advertise his creations. From there, he spread awareness of the canned rosogolla, the first and only dessert in India at the time to be produced in a can. The “K.C. Das” confectionery firm was founded at this time. Krishna Chandra’s son and successor Sarada Charan Das later improved the business and reorganised it legally as K.C. Das Private Limited under the Companies’ Act of 1946.

Within four years of the company’s founding, Krishna Chandra passed away, leaving Sarada Charan to manage the affairs of the fledgling business. Rosogolla and rosomalai, two of K.C. Das Private Limited’s original products, are now well known and savoured by people around the globe and it was all a product of humble beginnings by K.C. Das.