Nobin Chandra Das opened a shop in Bagbazar and in 1868 worked out how to boil chhena balls in syrup so they held together instead of disintegrating. The trick is in the kneading, and in the syrup being thin enough to enter the sphere rather than coat it.
Odisha claims an older Puri temple lineage, and the dispute went formal. In 2017 India's Geographical Indication registry granted Bengal the tag for Banglar Rosogolla; Odisha received a separate tag for Odisha Rasagola in 2019. Both sides declared victory, which is the correct outcome.
A good one is white, faintly warm, and collapses under a spoon without resistance. It should not be sweet enough to notice as sweetness. If it squeaks, the chhena was over-kneaded.
In winter it is made with nolen gur, and the caramel version is better than the original.
