Mysore Pak – The History of the Melt-in-Mouth Delicacy

Let’s Pause n Ponder by Amelia

Mysore Pak, the yummy sweet from the palace of Mysore is so mouth-watering. You could almost eat one kg of it! And that’s what I did when first time I received a pack (Later with an upset stomach of course). I can say honestly that it is one of the most sumptuous Indian sweet.  Today we are going to actually learn the history of how this tasty sweet was made.

How was Mysore Pak formed in the first place?

Mysore Pak was prepared in the palace of M ysore. There was lot of activity since a lunch was being prepared for the royal family. Everything was there except for a sweet dish. There was a cook named Kakasura Madappa. Madappa mixed gram flour, sugar and and ghee to make this delicacy. When the king called him to present it, he did not know the name of the sweet dish so he named it Mysuru Paka.

Pak or paka is derived from the kannada language which means sweet. It is conventionally served in South Indian weddings or other celebrations in southern India. Pakka Shastra in kannada means cooking technique. Paka in Kannada denotes to consistent syrup. The syrup is flavored with rose, honey and so forth.

Where do you get Most Famous Mysore Pak?

Now Mysore Pak is available in all corners of India. You may be fortunate to relish it when abroad, as few stores may be stocking it, given its rising popularity due to its melt-in-the-mouth texture and heavenly taste. However, the famous Mysore Pak at Guru Sweet Mart located at Devaraja Market Building in Mysore, still remains one of the pioneers.

Heavenly South Indian Sweets that are not much known

Here are some tasty south Indian sweets that I bet you have not heard of:

Elaneer Payasam: This tasty delicacy is one of the south Indian dishes that is made of tender coconut, coconut flesh, coconut milk powder, condensed milk and cardamom.

Adhirasam: A really tasty and one of a kind dish is made on festivals like Pongal, made from rice flour, jaggery and ghee (or oil) and occasionally added with cardamom, sesame and ginger

Annamayya Laddu: A rich and aromatic sweet from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, made with ghee, besan (gram flour), and cardamom.

Gavvalu: A crunchy and subtly sweet treat from Hyderabad.