Tilkut (Magadhi: 𑂞𑂱𑂪𑂍𑂴𑂗) also known as tilkutam, gajak, tilpatti, is a sweet made in the Indian states of

Bihar Bihar ( ) is a states and union territories of India, state in Eastern India. It is the list of states and union territories of India by population, second largest state by population, the List of states and union territories of India by are ...

Jharkhand Jharkhand (; ) is a States and union territories of India, state in East India, eastern India. The state shares its border with the states of West Bengal to the east, Chhattisgarh to the west, Uttar Pradesh to the northwest, Bihar to the north ...

History

Tilkut is especially made and eaten during Sakraat or "

Makar sankranti Makar(a) Sankrānti (), () also referred to as Uttarāyana, Makara, or simply Sankrānti, is a Hinduism, Hindu observance and a mid-winter harvest festival in India and Nepal. It is typically celebrated on 14 January annually (15 January on a ...

" festival. It is made of pounded 'til' or

sesame seeds Sesame (; ''Sesamum indicum'') is a plant in the genus ''Sesamum'', also called benne. Numerous wild relatives occur in Africa and a smaller number in India. It is widely naturalized in tropical regions around the world and is cultivated for it ...

(''Sesamum indicum'') and jaggery or sugar. The best tilkut is said to be from Gaya and is native to

Magadh Magadha was a region and kingdom in ancient India, based in the Indo-Gangetic Plain, eastern Ganges Plain. It was one of the sixteen Mahajanapadas during the Second Urbanization period. The region was ruled by several dynasties, which overshado ...

region only. Reference to this dry sweet is found in the

Buddhist literature Buddhist texts are religious texts that belong to, or are associated with, Buddhism and Schools of Buddhism, its traditions. There is no single textual collection for all of Buddhism. Instead, there are three main Buddhist Canons: the Pāli C ...

as ''palala''. It was initially produced in the princely kingdom of Tekari in Ramna, Gaya, and has a 150-year history. The king allegedly cherished tilkut and promoted the craft of creating them.

Types of Tilkut

Normally, three types of tilkuts are available — the refined sugar tilkut is white in colour, the ''shakkar'' tilkut is made of unrefined sugar and is light brown in colour and the ''gur'' tilkut is made of jaggery and is dark brown in colour. Each of these varieties has its own flavour. The circular shaped savoury is called tilkut and the smaller nut-sized ones are called tillouri. Winter is the period when sugarcane is harvested. It is also when large quantities of tilkut are made in many towns and even villages. However, as the demand persists throughout the year, smaller quantities are made round the year.

Nutrition and health benefits

Experts say that Tilkut is an excellent vegetarian source of protein. It is high in zinc, magnesium, calcium, and other minerals, and it has

anti-inflammatory Anti-inflammatory is the property of a substance or treatment that reduces inflammation, fever or swelling. Anti-inflammatory drugs, also called anti-inflammatories, make up about half of analgesics. These drugs reduce pain by inhibiting mechan ...

and antioxidant qualities. For optimal bone health,

nutritionists A nutritionist is a person who advises others on matters of food and Human nutrition, nutrition and their impacts on health. Some people specialize in particular areas, such as sports nutrition, public health, or animal nutrition, among other disci ...

advise women over 35 to consume Tilkut regularly. It is a great source of monounsaturated fatty acids, which are heart-healthy fats, and

oleic acid Oleic acid is a fatty acid that occurs naturally in various animal and vegetable fats and oils. It is an odorless, colorless oil, although commercial samples may be yellowish due to the presence of impurities. In chemical terms, oleic acid is cl ...

, which can effectively lower

high cholesterol Hypercholesterolemia, also called high cholesterol, is the presence of high levels of cholesterol in the blood. It is a form of hyperlipidemia (high levels of lipids in the blood), hyperlipoproteinemia (high levels of lipoproteins in the blood), ...

. In the dark afternoons of winter, the combination of seeds and nuts keeps the body warm and energised.

Regions

Tilkut is seasonal dessert used in the Indian States of

West Bengal West Bengal (; Bengali language, Bengali: , , abbr. WB) is a States and union territories of India, state in the East India, eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabi ...

. During the time of December and January tilkut is sold widely in these regions and it is loved dessert for all ages. it is also related to ''grah'' and ''nakshatra dos''. Tilkut is a traditional delicacy mainly prepare during Makar Sankranti, the harvest festival in India.

References

{{India-dessert-stub

History

Types of Tilkut

Nutrition and health benefits

Regions

See also

References