Duudhwala: A sweet initiative by four dairy farmers
There are four Duudhwala outlets in Sylhet town at Supply Road, Madina Market, Mirjazangal and Uposhohor
Duudhwala, the only sweet shop in Sylhet city, does not only sell sweets; yogurt, ghee, fresh milk, cheese, etc are also available along with date molasses. Duudhwala initially started its journey with four dairy farmers to meet the demand for raw milk.
But it was getting difficult for Shakil Jaman, one of the owners of Duudhwala, to retain a workable profit margin after meeting all the costs and expenses by selling raw milk only.
"We eventually had the idea to produce dairy products using the raw milk from Duudhwala. We started producing experimentally during late 2019 and surprisingly we got a great response" Shakil said.
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This reinvented their dream of opening the shop and won the hearts of many sweet lovers of Sylhet overnight.
Duudhwala is both a producer and supplier of fresh dairy products and this unique characteristic has made them different from other local sweet shops. They are committed to consumer-level sales by collecting milk produced directly from their farm and keeping the quality intact.
Regarding hygiene maintenance and cleanliness, Shakil said, "Every step from milk production to manufacturing is done with utmost caution and cleanliness. The four of us supervise every single segment individually."
Dairy farm of Duudhwala. Photo: Duudhwala
The sweets from Duudhwala do not taste like conventional ones as they are more flavorsome. People with a sweet tooth cannot say no to their Duudhraj and Malaikari.
Duudhraj abounds with milk. Per kilo of Duudhraj costs Tk400 and TK20 per piece, while Malaikari is sold at Tk500 per kilo and Tk30 per piece. They also have Roshomalai which costs the same as Dhuudhraj.
If you like sweets that are less sugary, Jafranvog, Shorpora Sandesh, Sandwich Sandesh are worth a try.
Jafranvog is so soft that it melts in the mouth and the flavor will definitely satisfy you. Per kilo of Jafranvog costs Tk550 and each piece is sold at Tk50. Sandwich Sandesh will cost Tk500 per kilo and each piece is Tk30.
Shorpora Sandesh is coated with milk syrup. As it has less sugar, it tastes like real chana and milk syrup. It costs Tk480 per kilo and Tk 30 per piece.
Sweets made from chana cannot be kept fresh for more than one day. Keeping the consumer's demand in mind, Duudhwala also makes dry sweets such as Kheer Lengcha, which is made from fresh milk kheer cooked over a long flame.
This dry sweet stays fresh for a long time and can be transported from one city to another. It costs Tk600 per kilo.
Duudhwala's sweet yogurt tastes like the incredible authentic yogurt from Bogura. Skilled artisans were brought from Bogura last year to introduce this traditional taste to the people of Sylhet. They also have sugarless, sour yogurt for diabetic patients.
The price of Duudhwala's yogurt is Tk220 per 750 gram and a single cup is sold at Tk30.
Wasima Tayeba, a student of Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College. said, "Sweets are less desired at home because my mother is a diabetic patient. But whenever I crave sweets, I rush to Duudhwala. I buy their sweet yogurt most often because it is just mouthwatering."
Duudhwala also has a winter special sweet called Gur er Roshogolla which is made from date molasses from Natore. Shakil said that the Duudhwala team collects date juice from local vendors and employs local artisans to turn the juice into fresh jaggery.
"We are committed to give our customers an authentic taste of this seasonal ingredient, which is why Gur er Roshogolla is available only for a certain time," Shakil told the correspondent.
This Sylheti sweet shop stops making this wintertime sweet as soon as they run out of molasses. If you want to taste this unique sweet, you have to wait till next winter.
Gur er Roshogolla costs Tk300 per kilo and Tk20 per piece. Duudhwala also has a Shada Roshogolla which is available all year around. It costs Tk250 per kilo and Tk15 a piece.
Shakil said that they have been trying to keep the authenticity of both the ingredients and dairy produce intact from the very beginning. "We are always trying to ensure that the sugar and jaggery we use with pure milk from our farm are not adulterated with," he added.
You can find 25 to 30 varieties of sweets at Duudhwala. Photo: Duudhwala
Duudhwala also has ghee, priced at Tk1200 per kilo, and cottage cheese, priced at Tk700 per kilo.
"Our main goal is to make it into the hearts of the people by maintaining the unique quality and taste of our dairy products while remaining a symbol of trust and reliance. Even if we cannot expand our outlets outside Sylhet, we still want to get acquainted with people as a renowned and reliable sweet shop where they can meet their sweet cravings with satisfaction whenever they visit," Shakil said.
There are four Duudhwala outlets in Sylhet town at Supply Road, Madina Market, Mirjazangal and Uposhohor.
