Bogura Doi

Doi is set yoghurt and Bogura's version is the one the whole country names: milk reduced over a fire, sweetened with sugar or date molasses, cultured and set in unglazed clay pots that draw out moisture and firm the texture, producing a caramel-coloured yoghurt dense enough to hold its shape, eaten from the pot with a spoon. It has been made by families in the town for well over a century, the trade is concentrated in a group of well-known shops, and it carries a geographical indication. The clay pot matters: the porous walls concentrate the yoghurt as it sets, which is why the same recipe in plastic is not the same thing. It travels for a day or so and is carried across the country as a gift.

What you actually see

• Caramel-coloured set yoghurt - reduced milk cultured in clay.
• Unglazed pots doing the work - moisture drawn out through the walls.
• The named Bogura shops - the families that built the reputation.
• A geographical indication - the name protected to the district.

When to go

Year round. One hour to buy and eat. Mornings for the freshest pots. It keeps a day or so unrefrigerated, which is how it travels.

Honest expectations

Imitations sold as Bogura doi elsewhere are common. It is very sweet. Pots are heavy and fragile to carry. Quality varies between shops even in the town.

Nearby

Mahasthangarh is north; Bogura town holds the shops.