We often underestimate the power of food in steering our emotions. Sure a lavish spread can fill us with glee for a while, but how do you explain the sudden surge of endorphins when you stumble upon a cotton candy seller, or packet of Fatafat, or some sugar-coated jellies, or everything that made your childhood ‘epic’? None of these required you to burn a hole in your pocket or any kind of exquisite cutlery or dining set-up, yet they have left an indelible print in a lot of our minds, especially those who have grown up in the nineties.
One such sweet treat that has sent the internet on a trip down the memory lane is Bombay Candy, also known as Bombay Mittai or Lachi. A YouTube video posted by Laksh Dadwani has clocked in more than 24 million views featuring a very special candy that is made with nothing but melted sugar, lemon and edible colour. The sugar is cooked until it becomes luminous and pliable, it is stretched to make different shapes such as flowers and swans.
You may still find cotton candy in different fairs and marketplaces, but it is rare to come across Bombay candy. In the video, a man demonstrates the making of the mystical candy. “I can shape them as flower, peacock, ducks and many more,” he can be heard saying. Further in the video, he says that the candy is made with just sugar which is cooked on gas with water and lemon juice. “Phir uski khichayi karni padti hai (then you have to stretch it),” the vendor said. The candy takes two three hours to prepare, and needs to be stretched for a fair amount of time for it to turn into these pasty bands that could be stretched to make numerous shapes.
Once the sugar is cooked, it is placed on top of a cylindrical log, from here, thin ribbons of this sticky candy are pulled as required using a thumb and a finger, and shaped around a thin bamboo or wooden stick. In the video, the man makes duck- and flower-shaped candies, and it sure looks like a vision.
The comments section is abuzz with users commenting on how deftly he rolls strips of the candy around the stick to make these beautifully-shaped Bombay candies. Most of the users were just thrilled to see their ‘childhood memories’ come alive. “I remember eating a toothbrush made out of this candy (sic),” wrote a user. “Ah, I used to eat this after my school, I miss this so much (sic),” said another. “Missing good old days,” was another nostalgia-ridden comment among the many.
Have you eaten this beautiful candy in your childhood, or recently? Do let us know.