Homes brimming with sweet boxes and streets bursting with mithai shops are testaments to Indians' infatuation with meetha. Mithai is an essential component of our culture, from the soothing custom of dahi cheeni before tests and interviews to the offering of prasad after a puja.
But we're not the only ones who love desserts. Not only are confections a national obsession in many countries, but some of them even have slightly different versions of our own sweets in terms of taste and appearance. Each sweet, a masterpiece in its own right, tells a story steeped in tradition, history, and regional uniqueness. Take a peek at this!
Video Credit: YouTube/Chef Ranveer Brar
1. Jalebi And Zulbiya
In India, jalebi is often served with piping hot milk, poha, fafda, rabdi, and other dishes. This delicious deep-fried food is enjoyed with almost everything nationwide and has cousins worldwide. In the Middle East, zulbiya, sometimes known as zalabiya, is a popular dessert during Ramadan and Nowruz celebrations. It is twisted like a flower, unlike jalebi, and is coated in a syrup made of rose water and honey rather than the customary sugar syrup.
The Jewish community offers the Egyptian meshabek during Hanukkah celebrations; it is a bit larger and more transparent than jalebi. In Sindh, enjoying gheeyar is a part of the Holi celebrations. The complex, pencil-thin coils of the Sindhi sweet are dipped in a syrup made of sugar and cardamom, and then garnished with silver vark, dried fruits, and rose petals. The zellabiya of Lebanon resembles a finger, and the Afghan winters wouldn't be complete without jalebi.
2. Guab Jamun And Lokma
Without these sugary balls, an Indian wedding wouldn't be the same. Gulab jamun, which is a spongy dough ball dipped in sugar syrup and deep-fried, is thought to have originated in India during the Mughal era. Another Indian variation, kala jamun, has sugar added to the dough, which caramelizes while it is fried and turns the dough a dark black colour. Gulab jamun ki sabzi is a well-known savoury dish in Rajasthan where the balls are cooked in a tomato-and-nut-spiked gravy. In India, gulab jamun is prepared with khoya and maida (all-purpose flour); however, pantua, a variant that is popular in Bangladesh and Bengal, is made with chhena.
A similar type of sweet in Nepal is known as Laal Mohan. It is referred to as lokma or luqmat al-qadi in Middle Eastern. The deep-fried balls are seasoned with cinnamon or other spices and coated in syrup or honey; this recipe does not include khoya. The Greek variation, known as loukoumades, is mostly covered in honey. In Pakistan, gulab jamun is even regarded as the national dessert.
3. Kheer And Sheer Berinj
Kheer, which is made with whole rice, milk, sugar, and the aromatic spices of cardamom and saffron, is a staple of any Indian feast. A variation of kheer is known as payasam, peeyusham, and payesh in South India and Bengal. A favorite dish during Ramadan, phirni is prepared with ground rice instead of flour and is typically served in mud bowls with dried fruits, rose petals, and silver vark on top. Another traditional dish for Eid, sevaiyan kheer, also known as sheer khurma, is prepared with vermicelli rather than rice and is enhanced with dates, khoya, and saffron for a more rich taste.
The addition of rosewater is the only variation in the Afghani rice pudding, known as sheer berinj. The Spanish version of the dish, arroz con leche, uses condensed and evaporated milk along with a pinch of cinnamon, giving it a creamier and thicker consistency. Same in consistency to kheer, pulut hitam is a Southeast Asian dish prepared with black glutinous rice, coconut milk, and either palm or cane sugar. Other names for this delectable pudding include rizogalo in Greece, muhallebi in the Middle East, and milchreis in Germany.
4. Kaju Katli And Marzipan
In India, kaju katli is a representation of Diwali. The main ingredient, cashews, are referred to as kaju, and the Hindi word katli means slice. Cashews, sugar, cardamom, and thickened milk are combined to create a delightful texture that is soft and fudge-like.
The intricate silver vark on top adorns each piece of the diamond-shaped dessert. The European sweet marzipan, which is made of sugar, almond paste, honey, and egg binding, is the culinary cousin of kaju katli. It is also frequently utilized as a filling in many wedding cakes and holiday desserts, and it smells strongly of vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and other sweet spices.
5. Halwa And Halvah
Rich, oozy, and occasionally grainy, this dessert is a symphony of flavours and textures that are offered as prasad on special occasions as well as a comforting sweet. When it involves halwa, Indians have used every possible ingredient, from fruits and vegetables to different types of flour. There are other halwa options besides the well-known aate ka halwa and sooji ka halwa, such as moong dal halwa, lauki ka halwa, besan halwa, walnut halwa, gajar halwa, and mango halwa. Halwa is known as kesari in South India because saffron is required, giving the dish its distinctive orange hue.
There are several delectable varieties to choose from, such as rava, pineapple, and chikoo kesari. In India, bowls of the eagerly awaited gajar ka halwa welcomes the start of winter. In the western regions of India, halwa is also known as sheera. The similarity between this dish and its Middle Eastern fraternal twin, halva or halvah, ends at the name. It feels very different, crumbly and chalky, and is usually prepared with butter, oil, sugar, nuts, spices, and sesame seed paste (tahini).