Thandai, the quintessential summer drink of Banaras makes its appearance on the auspicious occasion of Holi. This drink was first introduced by rich Gujarati and Marwari merchants who settled down in the holy city centuries ago. The thandai prepared by these families on important occasions was made from floral extracts of gulab (rose), ruh bela... Continue Reading →
Banaras, a gastronomical haven offers a staggering variety of scrumptious sweets like malaiyo, jalebi, gulab jamun, rabdi and others but launglata is undisputedly the choicest sweet of this holy city. Believed to be derived from the Bengali lobongo latika, this sweet is said to have made an appearance in Banaras more than 500 years ago. Also known as lavanga... Continue Reading →
Belgaum, known as the 'sugar bowl of Karnataka' is famous for its karadantu, 'cycle' khova, mandige and of course, kunda! In fact, the city is also called Kundagiri after this delectable sweet made from fresh milk, sugar and spices. According to the locals, the origin of this sweet can be traced back to Gajanan Mithaiwala of Vitthal... Continue Reading →
Besides the eponymous karadantu, Belagavi is known for mandige or mande which is essentially a wafer-thin roomali like roti folded like a dosa filled with sugar, ghee and spices. According to historians, an inscription of 1121 CE of the Western Chalukya dynasty has mentioned that during the reign of Vikramaditya VI, Govinda-dandadhipa started the tradition of... Continue Reading →
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