Latest news with #KarachiBakery
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- First Post
Mysore Pak renamed to Mysore Shree: The controversy and history of famous sweet, explained
Amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan, some confectioners in Rajasthan's Jaipur are taking their patriotism one step further — renaming the renowned Mysore Pak as Mysore Shree. But does the famous Indian dessert have any connection to the neighbouring nation? read more What's in a name, is the famous line written by William Shakespeare. And it still resonates even today amid the India-Pakistan tensions. Several sweet shops in Rajasthan's Jaipur have taken quite a patriotic stance by changing the names of their popular sweets — dropping the word 'Pak' and replacing it with 'Shree'. So, if you go to a sweet store in Jaipur, the chances are you won't get Mysore Pak, but Mysore Shree and you won't Moti Pak but Moti Shree. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The news comes just days after a group of men vandalised Karachi Bakery in Hyderabad, and raised 'anti-Pakistan' slogans in front of the shop. But does one of India's most beloved sweet dishes, Mysore Pak, have anything to do with Pakistan? Here's a look at what led to the famous sweet being named Mysore Pak. Sweet beginnings behind Mysore Pak Made out of ghee, gram flour, and sugar, Mysore Pak is a famous sweet across India and is traditionally served in weddings and other festivals of southern India. It is named Mysore Pak as it originated from Karnataka's Mysore (now Mysuru) in the early 20th century. The term 'pak' comes from the Kannada word 'paaka', which refers to the process of cooking food by heating, baking or frying. Legend has it that the sweet was first cooked up in Mysuru under the rule of Krishna Raja Wodeyar IV of the Wodeyar dynasty. It was 1935 and in the Amba Vilas Palace, where he lived, there was the usual hustle and bustle before lunch for the royal family. However, King Wodeyar's chef, Kaksura Madappa, was struggling to come up with an idea of a dessert for the monarch, who was also known to be a foodie. Madappa then cooked up a combination of gram flour, ghee, and sugar and served it to Krishna Raja Wodeyar. The king liked Madappa's preparation so much, he summoned him and demanded a name for it. When asked for its name, he called it 'Mysore Pak' — with 'pak' referring to a sugar syrup-based preparation in Kannada cuisine.' Legend has it that Mysore Pak was first cooked up in Mysuru under the rule of Krishna Raja Wodeyar IV of the Wodeyar dynasty. Image Courtesy: Pixabay There's also an alternate legend. One of the owners of Guru Sweet Mart in Mysuru, which is run by the descendants of Kaksura Madappa, has a slightly different take on the origin of Mysore Pak. According to him, Madappa was asked by the king to produce a 'different' sweet, one that would go by the name of Mysore. He adds that the cook used to be called 'nalapaka' - he who makes the paka, or sugar syrup. So he cooked up this dish and called it Mysore Pak. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD But since its invention, it's become a huge hit and loved by many. As head chef and restaurant consultant Tarveen Kaur told the Indian Express, 'Over time, Mysore Pak transitioned from a palace-exclusive treat to a beloved household dessert. Local sweet shops began replicating the recipe, making it more accessible to the public.' From Mysore Pak to Mysore Shree Now, amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan as Operation Sindoor was launched, some stores in Jaipur took a call to rename the famous sweet from Mysore Pak to Mysore Shree. Anjali Jain, the owner of Tyohaar Sweets, in Jaipur is one of the many who have switched the name from Pak to Shree. Jain was quoted as telling the Economic Times, 'The spirit of patriotism shouldn't just stay at the border, it should be in every Indian home and heart.' Bombay Misthan Bhandar, one of Jaipur's oldest sweet shops, also renamed the sweet. 'We want to send a clear message: if anyone dares to go against India, we will respond in every way. This is our sweet, symbolic answer,' Vineet Trikha, general manager at Bombay Misthan Bhandar, also told the Economic Times. And it seems that this name change has been welcomed by customers. One such customer said, 'It may seem like a small thing, but changing the names of sweets is a strong cultural message. It shows we stand with our soldiers.' A display of the Indian sweet along with its new name, Mysore Shree, in a Jaipur sweet shop. Image Courtesy: X Name change leaves a bitter aftertaste However, the Jaipur sweet store owners' decision to change the name of Mysore Pak to Mysore Shree hasn't been digested well by the descendants of Kaksura Madappa, the man behind the sweet. S Nataraj, a descendant of royal cook Kakasura Madappa, who still makes and sells Mysore Pak in Mysuru, told News18, 'Call it Mysore Pak — there can be no other name for this invention passed down by our ancestors. Just like every monument or tradition has its rightful name, Mysore Pak does too. It should not be altered or misrepresented.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD He further added, 'Wherever you go in the world, when someone sees the sweet, they should be able to identify and call it Mysore Pak. Nobody has the right to change its name.' Even Sumegh S, who is part of the family echoed similar sentiments. He told the media house, 'Mysore Pak is much more than a sweet. It holds deep cultural and historical significance for Mysuru and Karnataka. 'Mysore Pak is the pride of Mysuru, Karnataka, and the Kannadiga community. It reflects the sweetness of our people and the richness of Kannada culture. We only stand by the sweet our forefather created - Mysore Pak - which is now globally known. Do not drag it into unnecessary controversies.' And many others have also expressed their distaste for the name change. Taking to social media, one user wrote, 'The reason for this change among shopkeepers is 99 per cent WhatsApp forwards. And, ladies and gentlemen, introducing Reason 34, why you shouldn't graduate from WhatsApp University,' commented another. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'Paka' in Kannada means sweet syrup —not Pakistan! But Jaipur sweetshops, in their infinite wisdom have renamed Mysore Pak to Mysore Shree. Because clearly, dessert names now threaten national security. High on patriotism, low on brains? Peak clownery #MysorePak — Gautham Machaiah (@GauthamMachaiah) May 24, 2025 Another said, 'Crowd pulling, Pak & Paak has a lot of difference.' And a third wrote on X, 'This reflects the limited understanding of religion and culture prevalent in the country today. Consequently, terms like 'Paaka Kala' may be misconstrued as the art of Pakistan, and 'Paaka Shastra' as the scriptures of Pakistan. High level of stupidity going on in this country.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD With inputs from agencies
Indian Express
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
When patriotism becomes a food fight: The tragicomedy of Mysore shree
India finally has its 'freedom fries' moment. And it is sweet indeed. After 9/11, an American congressman renamed French fries as freedom fries because France had opposed the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq. Patriotism, it seems, could run deep and be deep-fried although French fries actually originated in Belgium. Even more ironic — it was the Americans who had named them French fries in the first place. Now Tyohaar Sweets in Jaipur has decided that it will show its patriotism by renaming Moti pak and Mysore pak as Moti shree and Mysore shree. Anjali Jain, its proprietor, told news media they had decided to remove 'Pak' from the names of their sweets and replace it with something more 'culturally resonant and patriotic'. Jain's motives might be shuddh-ghee patriotic except words actually have meanings. That meaning does not change just because it sounds like a word we do not like. A descendant of Madappa, the royal cook from Mysuru, who came up with Mysore pak using besan, ghee and sugar, wondered how the sweet could be renamed just to suit another language. This isn't even like Karachi Bakery which had to clarify that it's 100 per cent Indian and started by a Partition refugee in Hyderabad. Unlike that Karachi, this pak has nothing to do with Pakistan at all. It's a Kannada word for a process of cooking by heating, baking or frying as well as the sticky syrup made by simmering sugar and water. The roots lie in Sanskrit. Thus, in Hindi, paag is sugar syrup. In Bengali, pak means to stir and thicken. So, the Bengali sandesh might be 'naram pak' or soft or 'kora pak' which is harder. If we change them to naram shree and kora shree they would sound, quips a friend, not like sweets but new additions to Mamata Banerjee's many benefit programmes like Kanyashree, Yuvashree and Rupashree. It's not just freedom fries and Mysore pak. During World War I, sauerkraut was named 'liberty cabbage' and frankfurters were named 'liberty dogs' to score some anti-German points. After many Muslims complained about how a Danish newspaper depicted the Prophet Muhammad in 2005, some bakeries and cafes in Tehran started serving 'Roses of the Prophet Muhammad' instead of Danishes. This year, after Donald Trump launched a trade war against Canada, some cafes there decided to rechristen their Americanos as Canadianos. Of course, the coffee beans came from neither the US nor Canada. Anyway, Americano was never particularly complimentary. The story goes that American soldiers stationed in Italy during World War II found the espresso a bit too strong. They diluted it with hot water. Thus Americano is basically an espresso with less machismo. Coffee fights often get bitter. When Turkey invaded Cyprus in 1974, Greece angrily renamed Turkish coffee as Greek coffee, a linguistic counter-strike. It's interesting that patriotism so often turns into a food fight as if the best way to a patriot's heart is through their stomach (though in some Indian languages that is inconveniently called a pak-sthali). Food can bring us together. But it's also the most effective way to mark the other. Food bans are a well-established strategy to show one group or another its place in the scheme of things. By renaming a food we think we are in a sense wrestling it away from someone. Except as it turns out, French fries never belonged to the French. And Mysore pak certainly did not belong to Pakistan. Renaming Mysore pak to Mysore shree in no way ensures that Pakistan gets its just deserts. Or, just desserts. It's a bit like the Montreal restaurant who decided to rename poutine, the artery-clogging Canadian junk food where French fries are smothered in gravy and cheese curds. To show solidarity with Ukraine, it was unimaginatively renamed 'fry cheese gravy' although poor poutine had nothing to do with Russian leader Vladimir Putin. Freedom fries had a tragicomic end. The congressman who renamed it was himself disgraced. The Iraq War lost favour with Americans and freedom fries quietly returned to being French fries. In all the brouhaha, the food never changed or improved in taste. Jingoism just became added food colouring. Calling Mysore pak Mysore shree might be intended as a tyohaar of patriotism. But sadly it just shows some of us do not know our own heritage — linguistic or culinary. That is always a recipe for disaster. What's next, wondered a friend. Should the pakora become a shree-ora? Roy is a novelist and the author of Don't Let Him Know
Time of India
26-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
India-Pakistan tensions spark rebranding of sweets
Days after Karachi Bakery in Hyderabad faced vandalism and 'anti-Pakistan' slogans over its perceived Pakistani namesake, confectioneries in Jaipur are now making headlines with their own response to heightened national sentiment. Following the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor, at least three sweet shops in Jaipur are rebranding products, including the iconic Mysore Pak, by replacing 'Pak' with 'Shree' across their traditional offerings. What does Mysore Pak mean? The sweet, Mysore Pak, gets its name from its origins in Karnataka's Mysore (now Mysuru) in the early 20th century. The term 'pak' (or 'paaka' in Kannada) refers to a cooking process, specifically yielding a sticky sugar syrup made by simmering sugar with water. The term is entirely unrelated to the country name Pakistan Origin of Mysore Pak Mysore Pak was first created in the kitchens of the Mysore Palace during the reign of Krishna Raja Wodeyar IV (1902-1940). A palace cook named Kakasura Madappa concocted a sweet from gram flour, ghee, and sugar. When asked its name, Madappa simply called it 'Mysuru Paka' Call it Mysore Pak: there can be no other name Great-grandson of the royal cook, who invented Mysore Pak
Indian Express
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Row over the name of ‘Mysore Pak': The story of India's beloved sweet
With tensions soaring between India and Pakistan following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, a sweet has got caught in the crossfire. Jaipur shopkeepers have said that they are renaming 'Mysore Pak' to 'Mysore Shree' to reflect prevailing sentiment and 'national pride', according to a PTI report. The development has come just days after a group of men vandalised Karachi Bakery in Hyderabad, and raised 'anti-Pakistan' slogans in front of the shop. Obviously, the word 'pak' in the name of the beloved Indian sweet has nothing to do with Pakistan. Here is a look at what the name means, and what is the story and history of the sweet. The sweet is Mysore Pak as it originated from Karnataka's Mysore (now, Mysuru) in the early 20th century. The term 'pak' comes from the Kannada word 'paaka', which refers to the process of cooking food by heating, baking or frying. Paaka in Kannada also refers to sticky sugar syrup obtained by simmering sugar with equal amounts of water. The sweet originated at a time when Mysuru was under the rule of Krishna Raja Wodyer IV of the Wodeyar dynasty. Krishna Raja Wodyer, whose reign lasted from 1902 to 1940, ushered in several reforms and developments. For instance, under his rule, Bangalore became the first Asian city to get electricity. Besides being a visionary king, Krishna Raja Wodyer was also a foodie. In the Amba Vilas Palace, where he lived, he had a huge kitchen whose royal cook was Kakasura Madappa. It was Madappa who came up with Mysore Pak while experimenting with gram flour, ghee, and sugar. Krishna Raja Wodyer was delighted after tasting the sweet, and asked for its name. As Madappa stood silent, the king named the sweet 'Mysore Pak' in a bid to promote the city which he ruled. In the subsequent years, the sweet gained prominence, becoming a household dessert. Today, Mysore Pak is consumed and distributed to mark special occasions, especially in South India. Notably, Madappa's family continues to run a sweet shop, which was once owned by the royal cook, in Mysuru. Speaking about the controversy over the name of the sweet, Nataraj, the great-grandson of Madappa, told the media that Mysore Pak should be called by its rightful name. He also said that the sweet could not be renamed just to suit some other language. Mysore Pak is prepared using ghee, gram flour and sugar. Ghee is first heated on a moderate flame until it becomes hot and aromatic. Once ready, gram flour is added to the ghee and sautéed continuously for several minutes until the mixture turns a rich brownish hue. Separately, sugar is dissolved in water and boiled until it reaches a syrupy consistency. The roasted ghee and gram flour mixture is then gently added to the hot sugar syrup, with constant stirring to ensure a smooth, lump-free texture. Once the mixture thickens and begins to release ghee, it is poured into a greased tray and allowed to cool. After setting, the Mysore Pak is cut into small pieces. If it melts in the mouth, it is considered to be a tasty and well-made sweet.
Express Tribune
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Mithai or propaganda? India's dessert names latest victim of 'Pak' tensions
Listen to article Several sweet sellers in Jaipur, the capital India's Rajasthan have reportedly renamed Indian confections by removing the word 'Pak'. Desserts such as Mysore Pak, Moti Pak, Gond Pak, and Aam Pak are now being reportedly sold under new names including Mysore Shree, Moti Shree, Gond Shree, and Aam Shree. Though the term 'Pak' refers to the sugar syrup stage in traditional Indian sweet-making and has no connection to Pakistan, the change reflects a symbolic shift in tone following a flare-up in bilateral tensions. In the days since, nationalistic fervour has surged across parts of India. While renaming sweets may seem minor, some locals view the act as a form of cultural assertion. 'The names were never about Pakistan, but if changing them helps send a message, why not?' said one customer outside a shop offering freshly labelled 'Mysore Shree.' Culinary experts and linguists have pointed out that the suffix 'Pak' originates from Sanskrit, meaning a stage in cooking involving syrup. The dessert Mysore Pak, for instance, originated in the royal kitchens of Mysuru, Karnataka, and has been a staple of South Indian cuisine for over a century. Despite the term's historical and culinary roots, the symbolic nature of the renaming has sparked debate. Critics argue that altering food names in response to political tensions risks conflating cultural heritage with modern nationalism. Shopkeepers report that sales have remained steady, and curiosity about the renamed sweets has brought more customers in. The online backlash was swift and sharp. Linguists, food lovers, and meme-makers united in ridicule, pointing out that "pak" refers to cooking, not Pakistan. Social media buzzed with satire: suggestions to rename pakoras and pakwan, jokes about boycotting chini, and quips about turning Pakeeza into Shriza. Earlier, Karachi Bakery in India's Hyderabad state was vandalised by workers of the right-wing Hindu national Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) The attack occurred around 3pm local time at the Shamshabad branch of Karachi Bakery, where members of the ruling BJP demanded the removal of the word 'Karachi' from the name. India-Pakistan standoff The latest escalation between Pakistan and India began on April 22, when an attack in the IIOJK resort town of Pahalgam killed 26 people. India immediately blamed Pakistan for the incident, despite providing no public evidence. In response, India undertook a series of hostile actions the next day on April 23, including suspending the 65-year-old Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), cancelling visas for Pakistani citizens, closing the Wagah-Attari border crossing, ordering the shutdown of the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi, and reducing diplomatic staff at each other's embassies. Pakistan strongly rejected the accusation, calling it unsubstantiated, but took reciprocal measures through its National Security Committee (NSC). These included halting trade with India, closing Pakistani airspace to Indian aircraft, and other countersteps. Tensions further escalated in the early hours of May 7, when missile strikes hit six cities in Punjab and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), destroying a mosque and killing dozens of civilians, including women, children, and the elderly. In a swift military response, Pakistan's armed forces shot down Indian warplanes, including three Rafale jets, widely regarded as a key asset of the Indian Air Force. Over the following two days, India launched waves of Israeli-made drones, which were also neutralised by Pakistan's military. The confrontation intensified again in the early hours of May 10, when India targeted several Pakistani airbases with missile strikes. In retaliation, Pakistan launched Operation Bunyanum Marsoos, damaging Indian military installations, including missile storage sites, airbases, and other strategic targets. By Saturday evening, US President Donald Trump announced that a ceasefire had been reached following intense diplomatic efforts overnight. Minutes later, the agreement was confirmed separately by Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and the Indian foreign secretary. But despite the military ceasefire the war of narratives has waged on.
