Produced by: Hitansh Gaur
Renowned food-magazine Taste Atlas gives information and reviews of street foods from around the world. In their recent rankings of ‘Best Street Food Sweets’, Taste Atlas has included three sweets from India.
In the list featuring dishes from across the globe, India’s top entry is Mysore Pak ranked as the 14th best street food sweet.
Mysore Pak is said to have originated in the kitchens of Mysore Palace only to become a household name for Kannadigas. Although, there is a theory that the delicious sweet was first made in Tamil Nadu and later smuggled to Mysore.
Deputy CM of Karnataka. DK Shivakumar shared the list on his Twitter account writing, “Kannadigas are proud to see Mysore Pak ranked 14th among the world's top 50 street sweets by Taste Atlas. It brings back fond childhood memories of sharing Mysore Pak with my father and relatives who would often bring it home.”
The Deputy CM of Karnataka also complimented the chefs for making the dish so popular. He wrote, “The hard work and skill of millions of chefs lies behind the Mysore Pak, which was born in the Mysore Palace and reaches every household today. All of them deserve credit for this.”
The second dish from India to feature in the list is ‘Kulfi’ which is an Indian ice cream made with slowly simmered milk. It is ranked as the 18th best street food sweet, which is often flavored with pistachio, rose water and saffron.
The name ‘Kulfi’ comes from the Persian word ‘qulfi’ which means covered cup. It is believed to have originated by the Himalayan inhabitants in 16th century Delhi under the rule of Mughals. The simmered milk was filled in the covered cups, the cups were then submerged in a clay pot (matka) which was filled with ice and saltpetre (used for refrigeration at the time). The clay pot was then sealed leading to the freezing of the mixture with a soft and smooth consistency with no ice crystals.
India’s last entry in the list came at 32nd rank in the form of Kulfi Falooda. The dense and creamy kulfi is served with thin Falooda noodles in the northern part of India. This dish is often made at home but is also available at the specialized street food vendors.
According to the Taste Atlas magazine, Portuguese dish Pastel de nata is the best street food sweet which can be tasted throughout the word. Pastel de nata is an egg custard which should not have a filling which is either too sweet or has the flavor of neither lemon nor vanilla. Ideally, the tarts should be sprinkled with cinnamon and enjoyed with a cup of coffee.