Lady Kenny is one of the many delicious Bengali desserts. The sweet dish is also known as ‘ledikeni’, as locally called by people in Bengal. It is a light-fried brown ball soaked in sugar syrup and is known as Gulab Jamun’s cousin. Yes, the name doesn’t feel like it’s the name of an Indian sweet dish, but there is a reason behind it. Keep reading to know the reason.
Lady Kenny- An Honour To Vicereine
The origin of this sweet is Kolkata, and was first made in the 19th century. There are many legends about this Indian sweet but the most popular one involves the then Vicereine of India. Bhim Chandra Nag created this sweet. He was a local confectioner whose sweet shop is exceptionally famous in Kolkata today. The sweet shop today is run by his sixth generation. It is said that he created this sweet on Lady Charlotte Canning’s visit to India. Lady Charlotte Canning was the wife of Lord Charles Canning. He was India’s first Viceroy and last Governor General.
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The Sweet Gained Popularity In Bengal
Lady Canning loved the sweet so much that she demanded it on every occasion. She died in 1861. To honour her, the dish was named after her, Lady Kenny. The dish slowly gained popularity in Bengal. The popularity of this dessert grew so much that no festival was celebrated without this dish. The manufacturer of this dish is said to have made a lot of money just on the name of the dish. The name of the dish slowly changed to ledikeni due to the pronunciation.
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Interesting, isn’t it?
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