Oh, the savouries of Uttrakhand. As we came down from the hills of Ranikhet, the taxi driver stopped the car in front of a small sweet shop of a Shah ji that was making fresh Bal mithai and Singodi. These two are savouries of Uttrakhand and symbolise the place. Now there are efforts by people to create an awareness among the producers of these sweets with regards to Intellectual Property rights and protect these under the Geographical indication of Goods Act, 1999 and to preserve these as the symbols of this region, so that no one copies them. Bal mithai is made by cooking Khoya which is the thickner arrived at once cream is evaporated and mixing it with canned sugar till it becomes dark brown in colour.This is called chocolate locally and is also a favourite. This chocolate when hot and liquidy and made to cool and set in to trays. This is then cut into square pieces. It is then folded with white crystal balls in the shape of small white globules which are made with roasted poppy seeds coated with sugar. This is how the bal mithai is finally produced. Bal mithai was first introduced in early 20 th century when Jogi Ram Lal Shah of Lal Bazar in Almora made it for the first time and this was offered to the sun God. Hence, even today the best Bal mithai and Singodi are attributed to Almora though it is sold all over the Kumaon, Gadhwal region. In Singodi the sweet Khoya is wrapped into maalu leaf. The maalu leaf is made into the shape of a cone and then it is stuffed with the sweet khoya. This little shop in Ranikhet also specialised in these traditional sweets. We tasted the sweets and found them to be of equally good quality and carried few boxes home. May be carrying back these sweets to Hyderabad will keep us connected to the region.
