The most flavourful bit of the Odia dessert chhena poda, that literally translates to burnt cheese, is the burnt upper crust of the desi cousin of cheesecake. The sweet, for which the state had put forth a request for a Geographical Indication tag last year, is spongy, like bread pudding in texture, but creamier and softer like cheesecake.

Many Mumbaikars may not have tasted it since it is rare to find in the city. Heena Punwani, pastry chef at The Bombay Canteen, tells us that she first heard of it when the eatery's chef partner Thomas Zacharias was planning his regional food research trip to Odisha. "We tried to source it in Mumbai for a taste, but it didn't live up to its reputation. So, Thomas carried it back from Odisha. It was a cross between a baked rosogulla and a cheesecake with beautiful, charred edges that brought in a lovely burnt caramel flavour and cut through the sweetness of the dessert," she tells us about the dish that's now on their Sunday brunch menu.