Mithai, But Make It Millennial

The laddoo is lavender, and katli has a flavour. The artisanal mithai market has created a buzz for a while now, but the wedding market is warming up to the idea as well, with a new generation opting for mithai that goes beyond the tradition

- Samreen Tungekar

To understand what led to mithai becoming a millennial hit in the last few years, it's important to understand where it all started before it became 'cool'. In 2014, restaurateur Zorawar Kalra introduced Jalebi Caviar to the world at Masala Library, a twist to the classic jalebi. The juxtaposition of the old with the modern was his goal, and he scored and how. "In 2013, I was sitting in my office with my chefs, and I dropped a pen on a paper, and it made a dot. I told them I want to make a jalebi that's this size. The chefs made a chhanni, and figured a consistency method that will give us a small boondi, like the grain of a motichoor laddoo. That's how the dessert was created," he recalls.

At the same time that Kalra was creating in his office, a brand in Jaipur was starting their experimentation with mithai. "We realised no one always wants a kg or big boxes, so we should create smaller, more premium pieces, that will be more valuable - just like you can have a pastry instead of a cake. That's what got us started," says Divya Arora, founder of Jaipur-based Kesar Sweets.

Then, in 2016, chef Ranveer Brar partnered with the owners of Shree Gangour Sweets in Mumbai and created English Vinglish, a dessert boutique that aimed to internationally twist desi mithais. From Amarkhand Cheese Cake to Kalakand Cookies, these desserts were a hit.

In a way, Kalra, Kesar Sweets, and Brar, in their own spaces, predicted the future, because now we have a whole market that's taken the humble mithai and created an empire out of it. If you're not into taking one's word for it, a quick number: According to a 2022 food trends report from Godrej, 50 per cent of food experts see gourmet mithai to be in demand.