Do our Mithai’s need to evolve? 40 ‘Notun Surjo’ wins award in IFFM A short film by Pulak Bose

Do our Mithai’s need to evolve?

By Shirley Jacob

The Indian calendar is choc-a-block with festivals like Ganesh Chaturthi, Eid, Raksha Bandhan, Dussehra, Diwali and so on. One common thread underlying this fabric of festivities is the adornment of mithai often laid out at these occasions. Whilst I don’t really miss the experience of being force-fed sweets during these festivities, every time I do eat these magical morsels of mithai, distant memories of my childhood are rekindled. These memories underpin my culture and identity and are precious to me as they are untouchable and truly personal. Akin to this, Indian cuisine is also deeply rooted to our heritage and has been consecrated through a fixation on ‘authenticity’ and cultural preservation. Whilst the Brits may have anglicized and laid claim to some of our curries and chutneys, Indian sweets have seemingly remained unadulterated for thousands of years. However, with the growing tide of fusion cuisine, Mithai has emerged as the latest subject of experimentation in fine-dining cuisines across the globe. Intrigued by these developments I began exploring the culinary heritage of Indian sweets to understand if the whole notion of ‘authentic cuisine’ is truly defensible, and whether our mithai needed to evolve.

Underpinning our affinity for Mithai is India’s deep-seated love of sugar, stemming from the days of yore. Sugarcane originated in India thousands of years ago before our predecessors discovered how to crystallize sugar during the Gupta dynasty, around 350 AD. Sugar was highly valued for thousands of years, first beShrikand vermicilli cups

ing offered to deities as Jaggery before being a highly coveted spice during the spice trade – even today India is one of the leading exporters and producers of sugar in the world. Evidently, India’s predilection to sugar has manifested over millennia and is strongly connected to our forefathers - but what about the evolution of Mithai?

Indian sweets are often characterized as complex and requiring layers and layers of ingredients, however it didn’t always start that way. India’s oldest mithai, Malpua first mentioned in Rig Veda thousands of years ago is essentially a simple pancake doused in sugar syrup. The genesis of modern (and more complex) sweets was built not only on sugar but the cornerstone of milk. Milk was constantly innovated and experimented with for generations to produce the smorgasbord of Mithai we enjoy today such as Payasum and Gulab Jamun. However, the history of these favourites isn’t purely of Indian origin. Rather, they were heavily influenced from intercultural movement of tribes, and Persian and Mughal invaders. These invaders heavily influenced Mithais current state with their introduction of saffron, nuts, dried fruits, rose water – even modern favourites such as Jalebi derived from the Middle East, not India. So maybe our idea of ‘authenticity’ and means to preserve culture is not entirely defensible, given so many of our favourite Mithais were born from the evolution of cultural diffusion. Since India doesn’t have a Gutenberg bible of ‘authentic recipes’, there isn’t a canonical way to cook any recipe as each region has their own authentic ways of cooking a dish deeply embedded in their own rich history.

Today young pâtissiers are reinventing traditional mithais by infusing it with other nontraditional ingredients (e.g rhubarb), techniques and methods to create a new high, sugar nirvana. ‘Gourmet Mithai’s like Puran Poli Ice-cream, Kaju roll Tacos, Whisky & Champagne laddoos have become the new trend since it not only entices the taste buds but also uses ingredients innovatively by keeping the ever-evolving palates in mind. Pâtissiers are exploring new options that are healthy, organic, and palatable for evolving taste buds by experimenting with dairy-free alternatives, whole grains, nuts, and seeds. Whilst one could argue this is not ‘true mithai’, what’s more important is that this culinary evolution is enabling our cuisine to survive in novel and more digestible ways.

Fundamentally, food is culture, and the exchange of ingredients and recipes reflects a Saffron cardamom Pannacotta- Jacob Chacko

Burfi CheesecakeJar- Kushi

global cultural exchange which is intrinsically important for not only spreading our cultural influence but also creating new dishes representative of the culture and society which we embody. Perhaps what’s best for our cuisine is to embrace experimentation from other cultures and share our recipes to create the next evolution of sweets. We should focus on sharing our heritage and recipes with younger generations and other cultures to ensure our tradition is never lost.

Reflecting on my experiences eating gourmet Mithai at restaurants, traditional Chumchum& Sondesh- Punita Yadav

Mithai at festivals or enjoying Mithais in the confines of my own home during lockdown, what is most evocative about this sweet is not purely its taste, texture, or evolution, but rather what it does for me and how it makes me feel. Harkening back to my younger days, I reminisce so fondly as the Mithai was always the perfect accompaniment to those happy moments, it made me feel warm and jubilant in the happiest moments – the proverbial cherry on top… and if you ask me that’s the ingredient, we all need to preserve.