Sweet Nothings

Sweets hold a place of immense importance in Indians’ lives.

- Advika Srinivasan

So much so that when there is good news, we reach for something sweet, mithai, first. If there is no sweet around, at least a small bite of sugar is proffered. That is how auspicious and connected to our culture sweets are.

Made with colourful native ingredients such as gram flour, coconut, saffron, jaggery and even thick condensed milk, these sweets have unique flavours. From syrupy rasgullas of Bengal to the caramelised goodness of jaggery in the South Indian Mysore Pak, there is something for everyone. Some sweets are even coated in edible silver leaf called vark for visual appeal. All these sweets come in different sizes, shapes and textures, but they all share one thing in common: they are sure to make your mouth water!

Mysore Pak

Mysore Pak had its origins in Mysore, Karnataka. legend has it that in Mysore Palace, the king’s cook named Kakasura Madappa invented this dish many moons ago. When asked what it was called, Madappa could not think of a name, so he called it Mysuru Pak (Pak means sweet). Made from ghee, sugar, gram flour and cardamom, Mysore Pak has a hard, fudge-like texture. It is commonly found at weddings and festivals in South India. Mysore Pak has a variant called Mysurpa. While the former has a harder texture, Mysurpa is soft and creamy. Invented by N. K. Mahadeva Iyer, the considerable difference in texture is the result of a secret technique of stirring the mixture. This secret is guarded by Sri Krishna Sweets, the only manufacturer of Mysurpa because Iyer was the company’s founder. A tonne of Mysurpa is made at Sri Krishna Sweets a day in Thiruvallur, a little outside Chennai! Mysore Pak is found at most major sweet stores, while Mysurpa is available at all the Sri Krishna Sweets branches. Try both to see which you prefer!

Laddu