7 Indian mithais named after their place of origin

Indian sweets are often associated with festivals and celebrations. But did you know the history behind their names? Many treats are named after their place of origin. From Agra ka Petha to Mathura Peda, the list is large and vast. Take a look at some of the most popular ones and learn what makes them so unique.

It is one of the most famous sweets and refers to a translucent sweet made from ash gourd, simmered in sugar syrup and is synonymous with Agra. It is light, juicy, and mildly sweet, and comes in many modern flavours but the classic version remains unbeatable.

It is one of Karnataka’s most iconic sweets and is known for its deep caramel colour and grainy texture. It is made from slowly cooked milk solids and sugar along with ghee.

It is also a very popular Indian sweet and is famous for its rich ghee aroma and melt-in-the-mouth texture. It originated in the royal kitchens of Mysore (in present-day Karnataka) and is made with just gram flour, sugar, and generous amounts of ghee. The secret of this sweet lies in the slow cooking and careful technique that gives it either a porous crumbly bite. According to legends, it originated in the royal kitchens of the Mysore Palace in Karnataka during the reign of Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV. Legend has it that the dessert was first prepared by royal chef Kakasura Madappa, and the Maharaja loved it so much that it became a palace specialty.

It is also known as Iruttu Kadai Halwa, and is legendary sweet of Tamil Nadu, which is loaded with ghee and offers a glossy finisha nd chewy texture. As per legends, it originated from the temple town of Tirunelveli, and is made from wheat milk extracted from soaked samba wheat, slow-cooked for hours with sugar and generous ghee. It's the slow cooking and technique which gies it ts signature translucence and stretch.

In the North, this is a classic famous sweet and is native to the birthplace of Lord Krishna.It is known for its rich khoya flavour and slightly grainy texture, and is traditionally made with khoya, sugar or boora and ghee.

This is an iconic festive treat of Rajastha and is known for its honeycomb-textured disc shape. It is popular during Teej and Raksha Bandhan and is made by pouring a thin flour batter into hot ghee or oil, creating its signature porous, lace-like structure, which is dunked in sugar syrup and then layered with rabri, nutd and silver varq.

It is one of Uttarakhand’s most iconic sweets, closely associated with the hill town of Almora and is often called “chocolate of the hills.” It is made with roasted khoya coated with tiny sugar balls. It has a unique fudgy taste and texture.

Images Courtesy: istock