Some flavours can’t be bottled or bought, they must be made in a fleeting moment. With a piece of live coal and a spoon of ghee, everyday food in Rajasthan becomes layered, and smoky. This is dhungar, a technique that turns limitation into art.

Taal-er Gur, Bengal’s smoky, caramel-toned summer jaggery, is made from palmyra palm sap by the Shiulis, keepers of a quiet legacy. Rooted in resilience, tradition, and seasonality, it invites us to rediscover sweet diversity beyond winter’s familiar nolen gur.

How age-old cooking techniques — kneading, boiling, drying — connect cultures across continents, showing that while ingredients may differ, the instinct to shape comfort from dough is truly universal.