-A work by Divyansh Khare

Sweetness is one of the five basic tastes and is almost universally regarded as a pleasurable experience. Foods rich in simple carbohydrates such as sugar are those most commonly associated with sweetness, although there are other natural and artificial compounds that are sweet at much lower concentrations, allowing their use as non-caloric sugar substitutes. Other compounds may alter perception of sweetness itself.

The chemosensory basis for detecting sweetness, which varies among both individuals and species, has only been teased apart in recent years. A recent theoretical model of sweetness is the multipoint attachment theory, which involves multiple binding sites between a sweetness receptor and a sweet substance.

Studies indicate that responsiveness to sugars and sweetness has very ancient evolutionary beginnings, being manifest as chemotaxis even in motile bacteria such as E. coli. Newborn human infants also demonstrate preferences for high sugar concentrations and prefer solutions that are sweeter than lactose, the sugar found in breast milk. Sweetness appears to have the highest taste recognition threshold, being detectable at around 1 part in 200 of sucrose in solution. By comparison, bitterness appears to have the lowest detection threshold, at about 1 part in 2 million for quinine in solution. In the natural settings that human primate ancestors evolved in, sweetness intensity should indicate energy density, while bitterness tends to indicate toxicity The high sweetness detection threshold and low bitterness detection threshold would have predisposed our primate ancestors to seek out sweet-tasting (and energy-dense) foods and avoid bitter-tasting foods. Even amongst leaf-eating primates, there is a tendency to prefer immature leaves, which tend to be higher in protein and lower in fibre and poisons than mature leaves. The 'sweet tooth' thus has an ancient evolutionary heritage, and while food processing has changed consumption patterns, human physiology remains largely unchanged.

South Asian Sweets are a unique typeof confectionery in Indian, Pakistani andother South Asian cuisines. The Hindi-Urdu wordused to refer to sweets and confectionaryis mithai. South Asian sweets are made withsugar, milk and condensed milk, and cooked byfrying. The bases of the sweets and otheringredients vary by region. In the Eastern part ofIndia, for example, milk is a staple, and mostsweets from this region are based on milkproducts. Mithai are commonly served during anauspicious occasion such as the birth of a childor the acquisition of a new job.

ANARSA

Anarsa is a pastry-like snack commonly associated with

the Hindu festival of Diwali in Central and Northern India. Its

ingredients include jaggery(unrefined cane sugar), rice, poppy

seed and ghee (clarified butter). Anarsas are made from soaked

powdered rice, jaggery or sugar. The rice is soaked in water for 3 days,

with the water changed daily to mitigate fermentation. The rice is then

dried, retaining a minimal amount of moisture, and ground into a fine

powder. This is known as the pithi, and is mixed with an equal amount

of sugar.

This mix can be stored for a long time at room temperature as long as

it is sealed in an airtight container to prevent the moisture from

soaking the sugar further. Whenever Anarsas are to be prepared,

mash half inch piece of banana and mix into the previously prepared

dough-balls. The banana ensures the sugar dissolves so be careful

not to mix too much of banana. The resultant dough should be very

soft yet retain shape. Small flat discs with about 2 inches in diameter

are created by flattening a small ball of the dough over a layer of

poppy seeds - just on one side. These disks are fried with poppy

coated side first into hot ghee.

BARFI

Barfi, sometimes burfi or burfee or borfee, is a sweet confectionary

from the Indian subcontinent. Plain barfi is made from condensed milk,

cooked with sugar until it solidifies. The many varieties of barfi

include besan barfi, kaaju barfi , and pista barfi . The name is derived

from the Persian word barf which means "snow", since barfi is similar

to ice/snow in appearance, this is why it is served cold.

Barfi is often flavored with fruit or nuts and spices such

as cardamom or rose water. They are sometimes coated with a thin

layer of edible metallic leaf known as vark.They are typically cut into

square, diamond, or round shapes. Different types of barfi vary greatly

in their color and texture.

Though it originated in Persia, barfi was introduced to India and

Pakistan during the Mughal Empire in the 16th century. The confection

became very popular in South Asia, where it is now commonly served

at festivals such as Holi and Diwali.

CHIKKI

Chikki is a traditional ready-to-eat Indian and Pakistani sweet generally

made from groundnuts and jaggery.There are several different varieties

of chikki in addition to the most common groundnut chikki. Each chikki

is named depending upon the ingredients used. Usually, ingredients

such as puffed or roasted bengal gram, sesame, puffed rice, beaten rice,

and Khobara are used.

In regions of North India, especially Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, this

sweetie is called Layyiya Patti, being also very popular in Brazil, where

it is known as pé-de-moleque, and in Paraguay, where it is called Ka'í

Ladrillo. Some chikkis are made using a combination of these

ingredients. Special chikkis are made out of cashews, almonds,

and pistachios. Though jaggery is the usual sweetener material, sugar

is used as the base in certain types of chikkis. It is a very popular sweet

item in both rural and urban South Asia. Some also add glucose to the

chikkis, which are usual there. It just started from a single flavor of

jaggery and peanuts.

GULAB JAMUN

Gulab jamun, is a popular cheese-based dessert, similar to a dumpling,

popular in countries of the Indian Subcontinent such as India, Pakistan, Sri

Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh. In Nepal it is widely known as Lalmohan,

served with or without yogurt, and is a popular dessert on all occasions. It

is made mainly from milk solids, traditionally from freshly curdled milk.

These milks solids, known as khoya in India, are kneaded into a dough,

sometimes with a pinch of flour, and then shaped into small balls and deep

fried at a low temperature of about 148°C. The balls are then soaked in a

light sugar syrup flavored with

green cardamom and rosewater, kewra or saffron. These days, gulab

jamun mix is also commercially available. Gulab jamun is often served at

weddings.

The term gulab jamun comes from Persian, gulab, "rose water" referring to

the rosewater-scented syrup, and Hindustani jamun, m., Syzygium

jambolanum , a South Asian fruit with a similar size and shape. Gulab

Jamun is a dessert common in the countries of the Indian subcontinent.The Persian word Gulab(गुलाब) means rose, as rosewater syrup is often

used, although saffron syrup and honey are also common.Jamun may refer

to the jambul fruit, which is usually of a similar size to pieces of the

dessert.

JALEBI

Jalebi is a sweet popular in countries of the IndianSubcontinent such as India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal,andBangladesh as well as many other countries in the Middle Eastand North Africa, like Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Syria, Palestine, Lebanon,Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco. It is made by deep-frying a wheat-flour batter in pretzel or circular shapes, which are then soaked insugar syrup.

The sweets are served warm or cold. They have a somewhatchewy texture with a crystallized sugary exterior coating. Citricacid or lime juice is sometimes added to the syrup, as wellas rosewater or other flavours such as kewra water.

Similar sweets are imarti, which is red-orange in color and sweeterin taste, and angoor aana which is grape-green in color; unlikejalebi, these are made from the batter of urad lentil. They are madein North Indian states including Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, andMadhya Pradesh. A variant chhena jalebi, made with chhena, ispopular in parts of Rajasthan, Bengal, and Orissa, though the formcan differ significantly from place to place.

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KULFI

Kulfi is a popular frozen dairy dessert from the Indian

Subcontinent. It is often described as "traditional Indian

Subcontinent ice-cream". It is popular throughout countries

such as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Burma (Myanmar),

and even the Middle East. Kulfi is also widely available in

Indian restaurants in Europe, East Asia and North America.

Kulfi has similarities to ice cream (as popularly understood) in

appearance and taste, but is denser and creamier. It comes in

various flavours, including cream

, raspberry, rose, mango, cardamom (elaichi), saffron (kesar or

zafran), and pistachio, the more traditional flavours, as well as

newer variations like apple, orange, strawberry, peanut, and

avocado. Unlike Western ice creams, kulfi is not whipped,

resulting in a solid, dense frozen dessert similar to traditional

custard based ice-cream. Thus, it is sometimes considered a

distinct category of frozen dairy-based dessert. Due to its

density, kulfi takes a longer time to melt than Western ice-

cream.

KHAJA

Khaja is a sweet food of India. Refined wheat flour, sugar and

oils are the chief ingredients of khaja.

It is believed that, even 2000 years ago, Khajas were prepared in

the southern side of the Gangetic Plains of Bihar. These areas

which are home to khaja, once comprised the central part of

Maurya and Gupta empires. Presently, Khajas are prepared and

sold in the city of Patna, Gaya and several other places across

the state of Bihar. Khajas of the Silao and Rajgir are known for

their puffiness.

Khajas have travelled to some other parts of India, including

Andhra Pradesh and Orissa. Khaja of Kakinada is a coastal town

of Andhra Pradesh. Where as khaja of Puri is too famous. At

first, the batter is of wheat flour, mawa and oil. It is then deep

fried until crisp. Then a sugar syrup is made which is known as

"pak". The crisp croissants are then soaked in the sugar syrup

until they absorb the sugar syrup. In Kakinada, Khaja is dry from

outside and full of sugar syrup from inside and is juicy.

KHEER

Kheer is a rice pudding, which is a traditional SouthAsian sweet dish. It is made by boiling rice orbroken wheat with milk and sugar, and flavouredwith cardamom, raisins, saffron, cashewnuts, pistachios or almonds. It is typically served duringa meal or also consumed alone as a dessert. Kheer isprepared in festivals, temples, and all special occasions.The term Kheer (used in North India) is derivedfrom Sanskrit wordsKsheeram (which means milk).Other terms like Payasa or Payasam (used in SouthIndia) or payesh (used in Bengal region) are derivedfrom the Sanskrit word Payas which also means "milk".It is prepared using milk, rice,ghee, sugar/jaggery, Khoya. Some also add a little bit ofHeavy Cream to give it more richness in taste. It is oftengarnished using almonds, cashews, raisins andpistachios.

LADDU

Laddu or Laddoo is a ball-shaped sweet popular in Indiansubcontinental countriesincluding India, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh as well asregions with immigrants from South Asia suchas Hijaz. Laddu is made of flour and sugar with otheringredients that vary by recipe. It is often served at festiveor religious occasions. Common flours used for ladduinclude besan , rava and ground coconut. These arecombined with sugar and other flavorings, cookedin ghee and molded into a ball shape. Some laddu recipesare prepared using Ayurvedic medicinal ingredients,including methi laddu, multigrain and resin laddu.

Laddu flour (alternate spelling: ladoo flour, ladu flour) is acoarsely ground whole wheat flour sold particularly in theUSA as an ingredient for certain Indian dishes, (in particularfor laddu). The ostensible explanation for the purpose ofthe term is to differentiate it from the many other kinds ofwheat flours that are available.

MALAPUA

Malapua is an Indian pancake served as adessert or a snack. which is also servedto Jagannath in his Sakala Dhupa (Morning foodserved to the lord). It is During Paush Sankranti,Malapuas are prepared in Bengali homes.Malapuas along with mutton curry is served inmany non-vegetarian Maithil homes during Holi.In Bangladesh, a malpua is known as shondesh.What is known as "malpua" in WestBengal would be referred to as a type of halwa inBangladesh. These are regional differences. It isalso important to note that "shondesh" meansletter in Hindi. Recipes vary between individualsand not necessarily regions.

RASGULLA

Rasgulla is a cheese-based, syrupy sweetdish originally from the Indianstate of Orissa. It is popular throughoutIndia and other parts of South Asia.Thedish is made from ball shaped dumplingsof chhena (an Indian cottage cheese)and semolina dough, cooked in light syrupmade of sugar.This is done until the syruppermeates the dumplings. Typically, a100 gram serving of rasgulla contains 186calories, out of which about 153 caloriesare in the form of carbohydrates. It alsocontains about 1.85 grams of fat and4 grams of protein.

SANDESH

Sandesh is a sweet made from fine cheese madefrom cow's milk kneaded with fine ground sugaror molasses. This is a sweet from West Bengaland Orissa. Revered for its delicate making, andappreciated by the connoiseur, this representssweet making at its finest. Sandesh comes in twovarieties, "Norom Pak" (the softer version) and"Koda Pak" (the harder version). The softerversion although more gentle and consideredbetter, is fragile. The harder version is robust andoften easier for storage. Molases made fromdates can be used to make a special variation ofSandesh called "Noleen Gurher Sandesh" (aSandesh made from "Noleen Gurh" or molasesfrom dates) or simply "Noleen Sandesh" (asshown in the figure).

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