Mysore Pak is one of the signature sweets of the Karnataka. This sweet is available everywhere and many are involved in its preparation. But the authentic Mysore Pak is available only at a sweet stall located near the Devaraja Market in Mysore called Guru Sweets. This sweet stall belongs to the family of a chef who first discovered the Mysore Pak nearly 100 years ago. Let us find out the history of Mysore Pak.
The History Mysore Pak – The Birth Of A Royal Delicacy
According to Kumar, one of the partners of Guru Sweets, the Mysore Pak was first prepared by his great grandfather Kakasura Madappa. According to him this sweet was prepared when Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV was the king of the erstwhile Mysore. Kakasura Madappa was the chief chef of the Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV and was known for preparing the sweets.
Once he prepared a special sweet by using the ghee, gram flour and sugar. Kakasura Madappa didn’t name the sweet he had prepared. It was Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV who named it as the Royal Sweet Mysore Pak. Like everything else, the history of Mysore Pak also involves an accidental discovery.
“According to our forefathers, my great grandfather was asked to prepare various sweets for the guests. While preparing other sweets he tried a new combination which eventually becomes royal sweet,” said Kumar and his brother Shivanand.
The king loved the sweet so much so that he wanted the public to get a taste of this royal delicacy and hence asked Madappa to open a sweet shop outside the premises of the place. This could be the beginning of Guru Sweets as well.
According to Kumar, they have all the documents to show that this sweet is prepared first in the kitchens of the Mysuru Palace. Even though Mysore Pak is an Iconic dish from Karnataka, no Geographical Indication (GI) tag has been conferred to this product yet as it is a generic product.
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