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Is it possible that the popularity of macarons has dwindled somewhat with the rising consciousness about sugar content and the demand for sugar-free desserts? Comedian and screenwriter Varun Grover’s newest post may have a clue. It’s no secret that this airy, colourful French dessert has a high sugar content since sugar is a key ingredient. And Grover pointed out this issue with a hilarious rant on how macaron is a ‘fraud mithai,’
The Europe leg of his solo standup tour began this week and in an Instagram video, he gave his followers a glimpse of the food he was served during his flight to Zurich.
Pointing towards a box of colourful macarons, Varun says, “Yeh jo hai, yeh duniya ki sabse fraud mithai hai. Isse kharab, ghatiya mithai, kuch ho nahin sakti (This is the most fraud dessert in the world. There can’t be a worse sweet than a macaron.)."
He continues, “Isse accha aap ek litre sugar syrup banao, chashni banao aur pee jao, ganne mein dooboke. Madness! Yeh sirf cheeni ko sundar aakaar de diya hai, aur pastel shades de diya hai. Bahut mehenga dish hai, ghatiya hai (A better idea woiuld be to make sugar syrup, dip it in sugarcane and drink it. Macaron is just sugar in a pretty form with pastel shades. It’s a very expensive dish.)"
His followers agreed with him and even shared their thoughts on meringue. “I'm a baker and I can tell you that Macaron are the most pretentious and unnecessary dish. I absolutely detest it and have never made it. Another one is choux, croissant and baguette... just because they are drench doesn't mean they are good,” a follower wrote in the comment section.
“I agree with you completely!!! What a disappointment they are for all that hoopla. They are nothing but a ‘sweet’ propaganda,” wrote another follower
Sugar is a major component of macarons and contributes to their classic texture. Granulated or powdered sugar provides stability to the meringue by offering a layer of protection to the air bubbles and helping in the formation of stiff peaks which offer meringues their airiness and crispness.
In the French meringue, the granulated sugar is added directly to frothy egg whites. In the Swiss meringue, sugar and egg whites are heated in a double boiler until the sugar is dissolved. In Italian meringue, the sugar is cooked with water to make a syrup that is then added to the foamy egg whites.
If you want to try making a macaron with less sugar, try using a sweetener which has a powdered or granulated consistency. Some keto-friendly sweeteners can do the trick, although some trial and error may be needed to figure out how much sugar substitute you may need for macarons. For a more heightened sweetness, consider adding some natural, fruit-based sweeteners which are typically low in calories and non-glycemic.
