Shemai
Shemai is a traditional dessert in Bangladesh and Indian state of Odisha and West Bengal. Shemai is popular during Eid, but consumed throughout the year. It is a dessert form of vermicelli, soaked in sweet milk and often garnished with nuts.
Ingredients
The staple ingredients of shemai are milk, ghee, sugar, roasted vermicelli, and various assortments of nuts and spices. Shemai variations include a kheer version, dry fruits, and jodda shemai.History
Shemai originated from Bengal. Ice Today described shemai as a distant cousin of sheer khurma, an Afghan dessert, as well as seviyan, a pudding popular in North India and Pakistan. Some recipes use powdered milk and/or condensed milk.The hygiene of factories producing shemai has been questioned. In June 2016, substandard shemai, produced in unauthorized factories, flooded the market in Saidpur, Bangladesh. The next year, there was widespread adultered shemai in Chittagong. Sales of packaged shemai fell during the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh. The prices also rose as many of the factories stopped production due to the pandemic.