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When you think of Indian sweets, you probably picture gulab jamun soaking in syrup, jalebi with its crispy swirls, or barfi dusted with powdered sugar. But which one came first? The answer isn’t just about taste-it’s about time, culture, and survival. The oldest sweet in India is mysore pak, a dense, buttery dessert that’s been made for over 200 years in the royal kitchens of Mysore. Unlike many sweets that evolved from trade or foreign influence, mysore pak was born from necessity, ingenuity, and the resourcefulness of South Indian cooks.
The Birth of Mysore Pak in the Royal Kitchen
In the late 1700s, the Kingdom of Mysore was a center of art, architecture, and culinary innovation. The royal chefs were under pressure to create desserts that could be stored for long periods, served to dignitaries, and made without relying on expensive imports. Sugar was scarce and costly, so they turned to what they had in abundance: gram flour (besan), ghee, and jaggery.
The story goes that a cook named Kakasura Madappa, working in the palace of Maharaja Krishnaraja Wodeyar III, accidentally created the recipe. He was trying to make a sweet called chakli but used too much ghee and not enough water. Instead of discarding it, he let the mixture cool and cut it into squares. The result? A rich, crumbly, golden dessert that melted on the tongue. It was so loved that it became a staple in royal feasts.
Unlike other sweets that require fermentation, frying, or intricate shaping, mysore pak needed only three ingredients and a single cooking step. That simplicity made it easy to replicate, preserve, and scale. By the 1800s, it was being sold in markets across Karnataka and beyond.
Why Mysore Pak Beats Other Contenders
Some might argue that payasam (kheer) is older. After all, it’s mentioned in ancient Sanskrit texts like the Manasollasa from the 12th century. But payasam is a milk-based pudding-more of a porridge than a sweet confection. It’s cooked daily and doesn’t store well. Mysore pak, on the other hand, was designed as a shelf-stable treat. It could last for weeks without refrigeration, making it ideal for travelers, soldiers, and royal messengers.
Others point to laddu as the oldest. Laddus have been around for over 1,000 years, but they came in many regional forms-some made with wheat, others with lentils, and later with semolina. None had the consistent, standardized recipe that mysore pak developed by the 1800s. Mysore pak’s formula-gram flour, ghee, sugar syrup-remained unchanged for generations. That consistency is what makes it the first true commercial Indian sweet.
Even jalebi, often thought of as ancient, likely arrived in India through Persian traders in the 1500s. Its origin traces back to the Middle Eastern zulbia. Mysore pak has no foreign roots. It’s indigenous, born from local ingredients and local needs.
How Mysore Pak Is Made-The Real Recipe
There’s no secret technique. No hidden spice. Just three things: gram flour, ghee, and sugar syrup. But the magic is in the details.
- Gram flour is roasted slowly in ghee until it turns a deep golden brown and smells nutty-this takes about 15 minutes. If it’s undercooked, the sweet turns gritty.
- Sugar and water are boiled into a one-string syrup (112°C). That’s the key. Too thin, and it won’t set. Too thick, and it turns hard as stone.
- The hot syrup is poured into the roasted flour while stirring constantly. The mixture thickens in seconds.
- It’s poured into a greased tray and left to cool. No baking. No frying. Just patience.
The best mysore pak has a glossy surface, a crumbly texture that breaks cleanly, and a deep caramel flavor from the roasted flour. It shouldn’t be sticky. It shouldn’t be chewy. It should melt like butter.
Why It Still Matters Today
Mysore pak isn’t just history. It’s still made the same way in over 500 shops across Karnataka. In Mysore city, you’ll find families running sweet shops that have been open since the 1920s. One of them, Shri Krishna Sweets, still uses the same copper vessels their ancestors did. The ghee is sourced from local dairy cooperatives. The gram flour is stone-ground.
In a world where sweets are mass-produced with preservatives and artificial flavors, mysore pak remains a testament to slow, honest cooking. It doesn’t need fancy packaging. It doesn’t need Instagram filters. People line up for hours just to get a fresh batch.
It’s also one of the few Indian sweets that’s naturally vegan-no milk, no eggs, no dairy. Just ghee, which some vegetarians still avoid, but many others consider a sacred ingredient.
Where to Find It-and How to Taste It Right
If you’re in India, go to Mysore. Walk into any sweet shop near the palace or the Chamundi Hills. Ask for a piece that’s less than 24 hours old. The older it gets, the harder it becomes. Fresh mysore pak is soft, almost pudding-like, with a slight bounce when you press it.
Don’t eat it with your hands if you’re in a temple or formal setting. Use a spoon. The ghee leaves a sheen, and it’s considered impolite to lick your fingers in public.
Try it with a cup of filter coffee-strong, black, and sweet. The bitterness cuts through the richness perfectly. That’s how locals do it.
What Makes It Different From Other Indian Sweets
Most Indian sweets are either fried (jalebi, gulab jamun), steamed (modak), or boiled (kheer). Mysore pak is baked by heat alone-no oil, no fryer. It’s also one of the few that doesn’t use milk products. That makes it unique in a culture where dairy dominates desserts.
It’s also one of the few that’s still made by hand in small batches. No machines. No conveyor belts. Just a cook, a wooden spoon, and a copper pan.
Compare it to barfi, which uses milk solids and needs refrigeration. Or rasgulla, which requires chenna and syrup boiling. Mysore pak needs none of that. It’s the original no-frills sweet.
How It Survived Through Centuries
Colonial rule, industrialization, globalization-none of it erased mysore pak. Why? Because it was never a luxury. It was everyday comfort. In villages, it was given to children as a reward. In temples, it was offered as prasadam. In homes, it was the go-to gift during weddings and festivals.
When sugar became cheaper in the 1900s, the recipe didn’t change. It just got sweeter. But the core stayed the same. That’s rare. Most traditional foods adapt to trends. Mysore pak refused to.
Even today, you’ll find elderly women in Karnataka teaching their granddaughters how to test the syrup by pinching it between their fingers. That tactile knowledge-passed down through touch, not text-is what keeps it alive.
Why No Other Sweet Claims the Title
There are older food traditions in India-like honey cakes mentioned in the Vedas, or dates eaten in ancient Tamil Nadu. But those weren’t sweets as we know them. They were snacks, or medicinal treats. Mysore pak was made for joy. For celebration. For sharing.
It’s the first Indian sweet that was designed to be eaten for pleasure alone. No religious ritual. No medicinal purpose. Just sweetness, made with care, and passed down through generations.
Is mysore pak the only ancient Indian sweet?
No, but it’s the oldest *commercial* sweet with a consistent recipe that’s still made today. Other sweets like payasam and laddu are older in origin, but they lack the standardized form and shelf stability that made mysore pak a lasting tradition.
Can I make mysore pak at home without ghee?
You can substitute with coconut oil or vegan butter, but it won’t taste the same. Ghee gives mysore pak its signature richness and aroma. The roasted flavor comes from the milk solids in ghee caramelizing. Other fats won’t replicate that.
Why is my mysore pak too hard or crumbly?
Hardness means the syrup was boiled too long-past the one-string stage. Crumbliness means the gram flour wasn’t roasted enough. You need to roast it until it smells nutty and turns deep gold. Under-roasted flour absorbs syrup unevenly and turns gritty.
Is mysore pak healthy?
Not by modern standards-it’s high in sugar and fat. But compared to other sweets, it has no preservatives, no artificial colors, and no dairy. It’s made with whole ingredients. A small piece once in a while is fine, especially if you use jaggery instead of white sugar.
Where can I buy authentic mysore pak outside India?
Look for Indian grocery stores in cities with large South Asian communities-like Toronto, London, Sydney, or New York. Some online shops ship fresh batches from Mysore. Avoid anything labeled "instant" or "ready-to-eat"-those are mass-produced and lack the texture of the real thing.
If you want to taste the oldest sweet in India, don’t just eat it-experience it. Let it sit on your tongue. Notice how the ghee melts slowly. Feel the grain of the roasted flour. That’s not just dessert. That’s history.
