Rise in silver fails to dull the Indian sweet tooth
Source: Agencies |
October 27, 2011, Thursday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
IT is festival season in India, and that means sweets, often garnished with edible silver leaf for that final gourmet touch.
Even this year's steep rise in silver prices has not deterred Indian confectioners from presenting sweets rolled in fine sheets of silver - called varq - during the long festive season that climaxes with Diwali celebrations this week.
The price of silver has increased by about a third to roughly US$32 an ounce from a year ago, though it spiked as high as US$50 in April. Nonetheless, manufacturers of silver leaf and confectioners say they see little impact.
KA Patel, of Amee Enterprise, a silver-leaf manufacturer from Gujarat, said: "The prices of silver leaf is at least 30 percent higher compared with the last festival season, but there is not much effect on the demand."
Silver leaf is still made by hand in small workshops by men pounding on a piece of silver until it is flattened into fine sheets. Interest surges during the festival season.
Patel said: "There is more demand during the festival season as people like to indulge."
Once used to garnish the food of royalty, silver and even gold is gaining popularity as a garnish for chocolates and cakes, in the form of dust or leaves.
But silver really comes into its own when wrapping festival sweets such as kaju katli, which is made from cashew nuts, sugar, milk and powdered cardamom.
Silver is technically flavourless but consumers claim it adds a distinct taste to sweets.
Satyam Pati, a sweet-lover from Bangalore, said: "They make them look nice, plus kaju katlis without the leaf just are not the same."
Used for centuries in food, tobacco, mouth fresheners and for garnishing dishes such as biryani fried rice, silver is also said to have therapeutic properties.
Some traditional physicians still recommend it for the heart, stomach and mind. A preserve of Indian gooseberries coated in silver is a popular cure prescribed for digestive problems and a variety of other ills.
Mohammed Wasim, a silver leaf maker from Lucknow, said: "Just yesterday, a girl came and bought varq from me for wrapping her herbal medicines in, a hakim (traditional medical practitioner) had recommended it to her for an eye problem."
Even this year's steep rise in silver prices has not deterred Indian confectioners from presenting sweets rolled in fine sheets of silver - called varq - during the long festive season that climaxes with Diwali celebrations this week.
The price of silver has increased by about a third to roughly US$32 an ounce from a year ago, though it spiked as high as US$50 in April. Nonetheless, manufacturers of silver leaf and confectioners say they see little impact.
KA Patel, of Amee Enterprise, a silver-leaf manufacturer from Gujarat, said: "The prices of silver leaf is at least 30 percent higher compared with the last festival season, but there is not much effect on the demand."
Silver leaf is still made by hand in small workshops by men pounding on a piece of silver until it is flattened into fine sheets. Interest surges during the festival season.
Patel said: "There is more demand during the festival season as people like to indulge."
Once used to garnish the food of royalty, silver and even gold is gaining popularity as a garnish for chocolates and cakes, in the form of dust or leaves.
But silver really comes into its own when wrapping festival sweets such as kaju katli, which is made from cashew nuts, sugar, milk and powdered cardamom.
Silver is technically flavourless but consumers claim it adds a distinct taste to sweets.
Satyam Pati, a sweet-lover from Bangalore, said: "They make them look nice, plus kaju katlis without the leaf just are not the same."
Used for centuries in food, tobacco, mouth fresheners and for garnishing dishes such as biryani fried rice, silver is also said to have therapeutic properties.
Some traditional physicians still recommend it for the heart, stomach and mind. A preserve of Indian gooseberries coated in silver is a popular cure prescribed for digestive problems and a variety of other ills.
Mohammed Wasim, a silver leaf maker from Lucknow, said: "Just yesterday, a girl came and bought varq from me for wrapping her herbal medicines in, a hakim (traditional medical practitioner) had recommended it to her for an eye problem."
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