This List of the Most Popular Sweets From Uttar Pradesh is Going to Make Your Mouth Water

Uttar Pradesh is known for many things, especially for its desserts. Make sure to try these dishes the next time you're visiting the state and partake in its celebrated culinary heritage.

Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populated state, is known for several things, one being its historical and religious legacy. It also has a diverse and delectable culinary heritage, wearing the crown for sweet dishes in particular. Many popular desserts have originated from the state. Steeped in tradition and oozing flavor, these desserts are an integral part of visiting or living in the state. From the bustling streets of Agra to the breathtaking ghats of Varanasi; and from the holy sand of Mathura and Vrindavan to the old world cadence of Lucknow, UP has a diverse cultural heritage. its desserts are also manifold, from the imarti to the nimish and from the peda to the shahi tukda.

Imarti

From Agra, home of the architectural marvel that is the Taj Mahal, comes the imarti, similar to a jalebi but bigger and thicker. Made of a fermented urad dal batter that’s deep fried in spirals, they are then soaked in sugar syrup and given a sweet, mouthwatering taste. Although they have origins in ancient India, imartis are particularly popular in Agra. They’re often present during festivals and celebrations and enjoyed wholeheartedly. Although crunchy to eat, they also melt easily in the mouth, this duality marking their identity.

Peda

Peda is a soft, doughy textured sweet originating from UP, although it's popular all over the country. It's made of khoya, sugar and flavors like cardamom, saffron or pistachio. It’s especially popular in Mathura, where one will find a large variety of pedas in different flavors and varieties. They are normally served to gods as prasad, and shared with each other during festivals, making them a delicacy enjoyed year round. Today, it is found in a variety of flavors like kesar peda, chocolate peda, malai peda and doodh peda.

Nimish

A traditional dish originating from Lucknow, nimish dates back to the era of the nawabs, fitting in with the time’s richness and decadence. Much like a mix between whipped cream and a meringue, it's airy and creamy. It was developed under Middle Eastern influences, as attested by additions like rose water and saffron. Other ingredients that go into making it are cream, sugar, milk and a variety of nuts. It’s a light creamy dessert, much like an Indian pudding. Making it is a long winded process, including letting it cool in clay pots overnight, then whipping it until it's fluffy and foamy. After that, towards the end of the process, nuts or vark (edible silver leaf) are added on top.

Malai Ki Gilori

From the historically rich and culturally mystic Lucknow comes the malai ki gilori, a sweet that’s as tempting to look at as it is to eat. Made with condensed milk, khoya and a variety of dry fruits, it's shaped like a paan, recalling a long tradition. For this reason, it's also called a malai paan. It's often present during special occasions, weddings and other celebrations, being a well kept secret of the city. Although it's a dessert, it's enjoyed as a substitute to the paan, with its origin story also saying it was created for the nawaab as a replacement to the paan.

Gajak

Most likely originating from Meerut, the gajak is a seasonal dish, made of sesame seeds and jaggery, much like a chikki. Sometimes, nuts and ghee are also added when making it. It's crunchy and sticky and warms the body, making it especially apt for the cold winter time. This makes it popular during winter festivals like makar sankranti, pongal and lohri. It's also found in varieties like til gajak, peanut gajak, dry fruit gajak and gur patti.

Petha

Another dish coming out of Agra is the petha, also called winter melon, a translucent white dish made of ash gourd and sugar. The story goes that Shah Jahan asked his chefs to make a delicacy as white and pure as the Taj and this is what they came up with. It's candy like, with a grainy texture, but melts in the mouth once bitten into. It's available in flavors like plain and kesar among others. It's not too sweet, its mildness making it a favorite across the city and state more largely. Today there are varieties like angoori petha, paan petha, coconut petha, chocolate petha, kesari petha, and more.