Shemai () is a traditional dessert item in

Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...

and

West Bengal West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of . West Bengal is the fourt ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. It is a popular item during Eid. While popular in Eid it is consumed throughout the year. Shemai is sweet dessert form of

Vermicelli Vermicelli (; , , also , ) is a traditional type of pasta round in section similar to spaghetti. In English-speaking regions it is usually thinner than spaghetti, while in Italy it is typically thicker. The term ''vermicelli'' is also used to ...

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, a traditional dessert of West Bengal

Shemai originated from Bengal.

Ice Today ''ICE Today'' is a Bangladeshi lifestyle magazine focusing on contemporary culture and society in the country. The magazine has sections dedicated to business, fashion, health, women, music, travel and cuisine. History and profile ''ICE Today'' ...

described shemai as a distant cousin of

Sheer khurma Sheer khurma or sheer khorma ( fa, , shîr xormâ "milk and dates") is a festival vermicelli pudding prepared by Muslims on Eid ul-Fitr and Eid al-Adha in Pakistan, Afghanistan, India, and parts of Central Asia. It is a traditional Muslim festiv ...

, an Afghani dessert. Some recipes used powdered milk and/or condense milk. There has been some questions over the hygiene of factories producing shemai. In June 2016, substandard shemai, produced in unauthorized factories, flooded the market in

Saidpur, Bangladesh Syedpur (Saidpur) ( bn, সৈয়দপুর) is a city of Nilphamari district in Rangpur Division of Bangladesh. The city has become a very important communication hub for adjoining major district headquarters. Syedpur Airport is one of ...

. Next year there was widespread adultered shemai in Chittagong. Sales of packaged shemai fell during the

COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh The COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh is part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 () caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (). The virus was confirmed to have spread to Bangladesh in March 2020. The first ...

. The prices also rose as many of the factories stopped production due to the pandemic.

References

Bengali cuisine Bangladeshi desserts Indian desserts {{Confection-stub