The ‘Porabari Chom Chom’ a famous and legendary Sweet

Written & Pictures by: M. G. Rabbany (Sujan)

Once, the Tangail Porabari chom chom was famous throughout the Indo Pak sub-continent. The very name of Porabari chom chom still bears the old glory of Tangail. It has an eternal appeal to all. The color of this sweet meat is as like as the color of a brick. The Porabari chom chom is one of the world famous sweet for its extreme sweetness, uncommon taste and flavor. It is of various designs and shapes. Tangail has got a special recognition in the world from the British domain for this uncontested sweetmeat.

Porabari is a village. It is situated about four kilometers west from Tangail town. Its sight is calm and quiet. The village was named Porabari because the house of a sweet maker businessman was burnt (Porabari means “burnt house”). Nobody can ascertain the name of the man who first made this sweet meat. It is known that a man named Dasarat was the first sweetmeat maker in this village. The Ghosh and Pal tribes were engaged in the sweet meat industry generation after generation.

From the old sweet makers and sweet traders it is known that once there was a launch ghat at Porabari. The bank of Dhaleshari is a branch river of the Jamuna. Steamers, launches and big cargoes anchored there. Men of different position and taste used to come to Porabari. Once, Porabari was a thriving business centre where men including luxurious living gathered all the time. The fame of the Porabari chom chom sweet is not a matter of recent years. It has been reigning for more than one and half centuries. The Porabari Chom Chom sweet was full of taste and juice as like as the honey of the bee hives. It is said that a man (Dasarat by name) or an unknown Thagore coming from Asam first started to make chom chom with the sweet water of Daleshary mixed with the thick milk of Porabari. It can be cited that the taste of chom chom is mainly dependent on the taste of the water of Porabari. The secrecy that lies behind the preparation of chom chom of Porabari is the water of Porabari.

This is why the same sweet makers of Porabari failed to make sweets as fine as that Porabari in other districts. It is the water of the Dhaleshary that is responsible for gaining reputation in making the famous sweetmeat chom chom.

The position that was occupied by the chom chom of Porabari from British dominion in India is going beyond the possession of Tangail due to various adverse reasons.

The sons and grandsons of Khuka Ghosh of Pach-Ali bazaar always supply with the fresh and pure chom chom. They supply with chom chom at the price of 100/120 taka kg. They send their sweet meat to 40 shops in Dhaka and Mymensingh regularly. Besides, in many shops of Dhaka and Mymensingh the Porabari chomchom are supplied from the real proprietors. On the other hand, about two hundred or more shops have business of Tangail Porabari chom chom only on the basis of sign board. They actually do not have the pure sweet meats of Porabri. They are supplied with adulterated and impure sweets and they sell them under the sign board of Tangial Porabari chom chom. Now it is the race of the government and the industries set up at Porabari to take immediate measures to protect the prestigious industry and the long tradition Tangail from failing.