The Rise of Edgy Desserts

Sanket S, Co- Founder of Scandalous Foods, on how unconventional desserts are driving consumer curiosity...

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Indians are considered to be picky eaters, not because we're difficult to please, but because we've grown up with an almost encyclopedic understanding of flavour. We are, after all, a nation that invented the thali — a plate designed to hold the sweet, the sour, the spicy, and the sublime — all in one go. Yet, for all our culinary range, one thing that binds us in its sticky, saccharine glory is dessert.

From weddings to wakes, birthdays to board meetings, there’s always a sweet to seal the occasion. Gajar halwa warms the winter soul. Rasmalai cools the summer nerves. Gulab jamun needs no season — it just needs an excuse.

Small section, big profits

In the food business, desserts have long been considered “side of the plate” items — the final flourish that gets thrown in if there’s room left in the budget or the stomach. But this small sliver of the menu often carries a surprisingly large load. In both dine-in and delivery formats, desserts and beverages play an outsized role in increasing average order values and influencing customer retention.

Especially now, when attention spans are short and delivery windows even shorter.