New tastes from India
A good friend of mine just returned from visiting his family in Southern India. Knowing my love of food (and sweet treats!), he was sweet enough to bring me some Indians sweets (no pun intended!).
He brought as assortment of Laddu, Mysore Pak and Halwa, all equally as delicious. He wrote the names down for me so I could learn more about them.
Laddu or Laddoo is a sweet popular in Southeast Asia. It is often prepared on festivals or household events such as weddings and births or given as a prasad at Hindu Temples. It is made out of flour and a variety of other ingredients formed into balls. According to my friend, the best ones near him come from a specific temple and you only get one per customer.
Mysore pak is a sweet dish of Karnataka, India, usually served as dessert. It is made of generous amounts of ghee (clarified butter), sugar and chick pea (besan) flour. The sweet shop that my friend went to is well know for these sweets. http://srikrishnasweets.com/sweets.htm
Halwa refers to many types of dense, sweet confections, served across the Indian subcontinent. The term halva is used to describe two types of desserts: 1. Flour-based. This type of halva is slightly gelatinous and made from grain flour, typically semolina. The primary ingredients are oil, flour, and sugar. 2. Nut-butter-based. This type of halva is crumbly and usually made from Tahini (sesame paste) or other nut butters, such as sunflower seed butter. The primary ingredients are nut-butter and sugar. Halwa may also be based on numerous other ingredients, including sunflower seeds, various nuts, beans, lentils, and vegetables such as carrots, pumpkins, yams, and squashes. Various types of halva from India are distinguished by the region and the ingredients from which they are prepared, Tirunelveli a city in Tamil Nadu state is called Halwa City.
Too delicious to finish on my own, I brought them with me to visit my 4 year old twin cousins the next day. When I opened the container, Jameson gave a skeptical look. The conversation went something like this:
Jameson: what are those?
Me: these sweets came from India
Jameson: What’s India?
Me: it’s a country far away
Jameson: Why?
Me: because that is where it is. Remember when I went to Thailand last year?
Jameson: Yeah. You bringed me the shirt and Bella the pink outfit!!!
Me: ha, yes. India is even further.
Jameson: Really?
Me: Yes, want to try the sweets now since they came from so far away?
Jameson: Hmmmm....yes.....
At this point, Bella came in to the kitchen, and Jameson, taking full advantage of the fact that he knew something that Bella didn’t, proceeded to explain where the treats came from (Indria mind you, not just plain old India). The both tried all of them, and came back for seconds. Even their 1 year old sister was a fan of the Mysore Pak.
I love the fact that I have people in my life that enrich my life with new tastes. And I love the fact that I have little cousin’s that I can pass this knowledge on to. First it was the Dragon Fruit and bananas from Thailand, and now sweets from Indria ☺
Wonder where the kids and I will explore next……
He brought as assortment of Laddu, Mysore Pak and Halwa, all equally as delicious. He wrote the names down for me so I could learn more about them.
Laddu or Laddoo is a sweet popular in Southeast Asia. It is often prepared on festivals or household events such as weddings and births or given as a prasad at Hindu Temples. It is made out of flour and a variety of other ingredients formed into balls. According to my friend, the best ones near him come from a specific temple and you only get one per customer.
Mysore pak is a sweet dish of Karnataka, India, usually served as dessert. It is made of generous amounts of ghee (clarified butter), sugar and chick pea (besan) flour. The sweet shop that my friend went to is well know for these sweets. http://srikrishnasweets.com/sweets.htm
Halwa refers to many types of dense, sweet confections, served across the Indian subcontinent. The term halva is used to describe two types of desserts: 1. Flour-based. This type of halva is slightly gelatinous and made from grain flour, typically semolina. The primary ingredients are oil, flour, and sugar. 2. Nut-butter-based. This type of halva is crumbly and usually made from Tahini (sesame paste) or other nut butters, such as sunflower seed butter. The primary ingredients are nut-butter and sugar. Halwa may also be based on numerous other ingredients, including sunflower seeds, various nuts, beans, lentils, and vegetables such as carrots, pumpkins, yams, and squashes. Various types of halva from India are distinguished by the region and the ingredients from which they are prepared, Tirunelveli a city in Tamil Nadu state is called Halwa City.
Too delicious to finish on my own, I brought them with me to visit my 4 year old twin cousins the next day. When I opened the container, Jameson gave a skeptical look. The conversation went something like this:
Jameson: what are those?
Me: these sweets came from India
Jameson: What’s India?
Me: it’s a country far away
Jameson: Why?
Me: because that is where it is. Remember when I went to Thailand last year?
Jameson: Yeah. You bringed me the shirt and Bella the pink outfit!!!
Me: ha, yes. India is even further.
Jameson: Really?
Me: Yes, want to try the sweets now since they came from so far away?
Jameson: Hmmmm....yes.....
At this point, Bella came in to the kitchen, and Jameson, taking full advantage of the fact that he knew something that Bella didn’t, proceeded to explain where the treats came from (Indria mind you, not just plain old India). The both tried all of them, and came back for seconds. Even their 1 year old sister was a fan of the Mysore Pak.
I love the fact that I have people in my life that enrich my life with new tastes. And I love the fact that I have little cousin’s that I can pass this knowledge on to. First it was the Dragon Fruit and bananas from Thailand, and now sweets from Indria ☺
Wonder where the kids and I will explore next……
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