There are certain facts that don’t need statistical validation. India’s status as world’s largest consumer of sugar is one such example. But even in its inevitability, the number that as a country we consume, around 30 million metric tons of sugar every year (the next on list is China- with half our annual consumption), is staggering!
To say that we Indians have a sweet tooth could well be the understatement of the millennium. A sweet jaw is a more apt description.
Our love for sugar and all things sweets best reflects in the festivals. Long before western civilization described chocolate as the food of Gods, the status of mithai as the favourite repast of our deities was well established. If Krishna loves Makhan Misri, Ganesha is fond of Modaks, and if Lord Jagannath is partial to Rasgullahs, then Goddess Lakshmi is known to relish Kheer.
So much so, the description of a dish in Rig Veda, lends itself to how we know Malpuas. The almighty fascination also reflects in regal courts, where several sweets are attributed serendipitous origins. My favourite is that of Mysore Pak, where the enterprising royal chef of the Wodeyars made this delightful melt in the mouth sweet, on the spur with gram flour and ghee. Almost a century since then, Karnataka continues to display its predilection towards mithai in food delivery, with Bengaluru being the single largest market for sweets in India on Swiggy, followed by Chennai, Mumbai and Jaipur.
Kolkata is another city which loves its sweets-a fact that doesn’t need any statistical vindication. The sheer abundance of sweets and mithai shops that this amazing city has contributed to the culinary tapestry of India is unbelievable. Growing up in the city, and reading Feluda novellas, I often experienced my taste buds go into a salivation overdrive, when my favourite detective would talk about his favourite Sandesh made with nolen gur. This wasn’t mere fiction and possibly Satyajit Ray’s literary tribute to the legendary shop of Girish Chandra Dey and Nakur Nandy.
In fact, several of Kolkata’s best-known sweets are an instance of necessity being the mother of invention. In 1965, perturbed at the paucity of milk production in West Bengal, the then Chief Minister Prafulla Chandra Sen introduced Chenna (Milk solids) Sweets Control Order, which banned sweets made of milk such as Sandesh and Rosogullah. In a response reminiscent of Mary Antoinette’s “Let them eat brioche”, Sen urged the sweet shops to focus on making savouries and non-milk mithai instead.
In some of my interactions, senior members of families which run legendary shops such Balram Mullick and KC Das recollect the crisis that befell upon them. Faced with little choice they added snacks to their menus, and explored other ingredients such as maida, besan and kaju.
Talking about Kaju- Kaju Burfi (or Kaju Katli as it is called- Katli in Marathi meaning sliver in reference to the shape of this sweet which as per some records has its origins in Maharashtra), is the undisputed queen of the online mithai sales in India. It is the highest selling sweet, more so in the two festival peaks of Rakhi and Diwali. I have often wondered if the perceived expensiveness of this product adds to its appeal as a gift to one’s loved ones. One can only conjecture here, but the fact is that in Rakhi, Kaju Barfi witnesses a 400 percent increase in its usual demand. The other popular ordered sweets are Gulab Jamuns, Ras Malai, Motichoor Ladoo and Milk Cake/Kalakand.
Gulab Jamuns are an interesting example- one of the most frequently ordered dishes on food platform, they lose out to Kaju Katli for top spot in total quantity, because while Kaju Katli is ordered in large packings, Gulab Jamuns can (and are often) ordered in smaller portions. You order one plate after your meal, and if you yearn for it, you order it again. This is validated by another statistical point where Gulab Jamuns are frequently ordered along with a savoury item- a teatime snack or a meal thali, so they end up being a part of a larger order.
But then eating is too vivid a phenomenon to be reduced to dreary statistics. Sometimes it can’t be explained either. Sample this, on Swiggy- the highest sales of Chhena Poda- the most popular Odia dessert isn’t anywhere on the eastern coast, but in Mumbai! Similarly, Chennai orders more Dharwad Pedas, then Dharwad and Bengaluru combined.
In the meantime, if you are appalled at the amount of sugar we Indians are consuming, there are a wide array of sugar free mithais that are gaining popularity. You will be suggested to moderate your eating as well. That's good advice, but at least in the festive season, I would take it with a pinch of sugar, or as Oscar Wilde famously said- “Everything in moderation, including moderation”.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
