HBI Staff | Hyderabad 
As the festival season approaches, along with other traditions and rituals, food is one of the most important elements for gathering and celebrating festivals. Indians are very fond of mithai and mithai is a must-have dish for any traditional occasion. Godrej Food Trend Report 2022 identifies some interesting insights and trends surrounding mithai, noting the growing interest and pride in the regional sweet offerings over the past two years.
The conversation about traditional mithai started in 2019 and has grown steadily in 2021. The report highlights key characteristics of consumers who prefer bite-size or smaller-portion sweets during the festive seasons. Consumers still seek comfort in sweets while worrying about their health and well-being. Experts revaluated and realized that the value of Indian sweets goes beyond sweet fulfilment. Many traditional sweets are nutritious and served with natural ingredients. After reinventing mithai cuisine, the New Age version of mithai has gained attention, such as Kaapi Pak (coffee-infused Mysore Pak), rasmalai-stuffed in Ghevar tart with saffron-flavoured cream. The driving force behind these new-age mitaiwalas is the goal to revive the passion for traditional sweets and add Indian mithai to the global and innovative dessert menu. As interest grows, Mithai strengthens its identity across the country, as a result of cross-cultural exchanges, seeking to curate a unique combination of locally sourced ingredients, culinary ingenuity, sophisticated technique, and subtle artistry.
The Godrej Foods Trends Report 2022 – Collector’s Edition elaborates on the vibrant foundations and evolving facts of culinary culture. A few of these insights that are based on opinions of over 200+ thought leaders that included celebrity chefs, home chefs, professional chefs, food bloggers, health professionals, media professionals, mixologists, nutritionists, restaurateurs, sommeliers, food producers, and more, all of whom shared deep insights about their respective areas of expertise. Some key findings that have emerged for 2022 are:
- Sweets in Controlled Portions – 57.4% food experts see people opting for bite-sized mithais
- Gourmet Mithai – 50% of expert panel believes that gourmet mithai is a sweet trend that will only grow. With consumers preferring them for celebratory occasions and festivals
- Healthier Claims – 54.1% food experts see mithai with healthier claims will have higher demand amongst peopl
- Pride in Traditional and Regional Sweets – 42.6% of expert panel sees a growing sense of pride in homemade traditional, regional Indian sweets and mithais
- Dining Out – 60% experts foresee mithai and desserts with healthier claims will prevail while eating out
Rushina Munshaw Ghildiyal, Curating Editor of the Godrej Foods Trends Report 2022, said, “India loves its mithai. Health concerns may motivate cautious consumption – we see consumers expressing a desire for portion-controlled and healthier options throughout, but the unique position sweet holds for Indians is incontestable. As the festival season starts from September, not only will mithai with healthier claims be in demand but gourmet mithai – which is mithai reimagined by the new age designer mithaiwalla will see more demand from people.”
Adding on the evolution of Mithai’s, Rushina, said, “Indian Mithai making has evolved into an art form over centuries. India had a rich repertoire of ingredients across the land that our skilled confectioners transformed into legendary offerings. And now I see a league of new mithaiwalas juxtaposing unusual flavours, couturesque design, and a new global vocabulary with time honored traditions that is driving a resurgence of pride in India’s rich mithai heritage.”
