Gold in your gajar halwa!

Gold and silver do not just go into jewellery; they have been used in food since time immemorial. The Egyptians, we are told, used thin gold leaves to garnish their food and the Romans put gold foil into their liquor.

The Japanese added it to their coffee and green tea while closer home, in India, gold and silver varq on sweets and rich desserts was par for the course.

Clearly, gold and silver on the plate indicate opulence and luxury. Chef Dheeraj Mangothra of Drool Kitchen says, “In India, mithai is incomplete without varq. Be it laddoo or kaju katli, gajar ka halwa or kheer, it must have a topping of gold or silver. It adds to the visual drama of the dish and enhances the taste,” he explains.

“A king in Jaipur is said to have loved jalebi with varq so much that he had a jalebi shop set up in his palace. It is now called Jalebi Chowk! The very same monarch also popularised the dish, Chandi ka murg, which is murg malai tikka with silver varq on it,” informs Mangothra.
Silver and gold cutlery was a staple in royal households.

It was believed that gold enhanced virility and silver sharpened the mind. Since both metals are far too expensive to be used in cutlery or food, they are now sparingly employed in health supplements such as chywanprash.    
   
 However, chefs and food outlets continue to experiment with gold and silver in food. Various brands ofchocolate are said to contain bits of real gold foil. Cakes are made with gold dust. Recently, a Japanese chef came up with the most expensive cake in the world, dusting it with white gold. Each piece of cake was sold for $300.

The cake may be a distant dream but when in the mood for some culinary excess, head to Panchayat paan shop in Connaught Place, where the paan has teeny slivers of silver and gold. Though more expensive than a normal paan, your indulgence won’t bankrupt you!