From Mysore Pak to ‘Mysore Shree': As some Jaipur confectioneries change names of famous sweets, culinary experts explain what ‘Pak' actually means
But what does the word 'pak' mean in the names of sweets?
Home chef Aishwarya Damodaran told us that pak denotes the consistency of sugar syrup, or means simply a sweet syrup. 'It's from a Sanskrit word. But in Tamil, we also colloquially say paagu for the string consistency that defines whether the sweet is cooked or not,' said Aishwarya.
Chef Shipra Khanna concurred and shared that in classical Indian confectionery, the word 'pak' refers to the process of cooking sugar to a particular consistency. According to her, 'Pak' is not just a suffix — it's a signal of perfection in sugar work, in traditional Indian mithai-making.
She described it as the heart of many traditional sweets, where the art lies in mastering the sugar syrup's transformation.
In the case of Mysore Pak, in which chickpea flour, ghee, and sugar are mixed in a hot pan until the pak stage is reached, it forms a fudge-like texture that's rich and grainy. 'Mysore Pak is a result of careful attention to temperature and timing — too early, and it's undercooked; too late, and it hardens,' said Khanna.
Chef Ranveer Brar, who often speaks about the history of culinary ingredients and documents them, added that the word pak comes from the Sanskrit word 'paaka, which comes from the word 'paacha, which essentially means cooking or ripening. Most ancient books, whether it is Paka Darpana, Pak Kala, or Paaka Shastra, all use the word pak. 'The word Pak is only the process of cooking or ripening. The word pakwa in Hindi comes from Paaka, which comes from Paakhi rasoi or the cook's kitchen. Similarly, these sweets, which are pakwans, get their names from Pak,' said Brar.
Historian turned chef Osama Jalali wishes 'people knew that pāk in Mysore Pak, Moti Pak, Aam Pak etc. is from pāka, the Kannada word which means 'sweet condiment' and shares the same root as Hindi pag (sugar syrup)'. 'The shared root for both words is Sanskrit pakvá (cooked, ripe, baked),' he said.
While the spirit of showcasing national pride is right, changing the names of sweetmeats that have no connection to another country has no meaning, the chefs pointed out.
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