Cheeses of Nayagarh
The Odisha town credited with chhena poda, the 'burnt cheese' cake of chhena, sugar and semolina baked until caramelised.
Made, aged and sold here
Best time: October to February.
Nayagarh is a district town in the hills west of Bhubaneswar. Local accounts say chhena poda, Odisha's baked cheese cake, was first made here in the twentieth century by a confectioner who left sweetened chhena in a cooling wood oven overnight. Whatever the exact story, the town and its district are proud of it, and chhena poda is now sold all over the state.
Chhena poda
Chhena poda means burnt cheese in Odia. Fresh chhena is kneaded with sugar, semolina and a little cardamom, packed into a pan lined with sal leaves and baked slowly until the outside is dark and caramelised and the inside is soft and spongy. Its flavour comes mostly from the caramelised sugar. It is a favourite offering to Jagannath and a common sweet at festivals.
The district
Nayagarh district is a landscape of paddy, hills and forest, with old princely towns and temples. Its dairy farmers supply chhena to the sweet shops of Bhubaneswar as well as their own. The Kuanria dam and the Satkosia gorge of the Mahanadi lie within reach for those who want to see more of inland Odisha.
A trail idea for Nayagarh
- Nayagarh sweet shops Try chhena poda where it is said to have begun.
- Kuanria dam A reservoir and small deer park in the district.
- Satkosia The Mahanadi gorge and its forests to the north-west.
- Bhubaneswar Return to the capital and its many chhena sweet shops.
Written by the EveryCheese desk with AI assistance. Background: "Nayagarh" on Wikipedia. Opening hours, markets, caves and tours change; check locally before travelling. If something is wrong, tell us.
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