Petha

When asked about the most famous aspect of Agra, the unquestionable reply would be the majestic Taj Mahal. While there is nothing wrong with that, what generally goes unnoticed to most people is that Agra is home to not just grand architectural marvels but also a translucent culinary wonder—the Petha. It gets even more interesting as we delve deep into the origin story of this sweet delicacy and the way it is prepared to this day.

While the method of preparation remains unchanged, major confectioners of Agra have experimented with new flavours like saffron, cherry, orange, pineapple, grape, coconut, and chocolate. Despite variations, the historical custom of eating a Petha is to complement it with Agra Dalmoth, a spicy fritter prepared from gram flour and dry fruits.

The tradition of producing the Agra Petha is continued by 700 cottage industries of the city till date. The sweet bears the legacy of the Mughal royal kitchen, the place where it is most likely to have originated. Legend goes, Shah Jahan ordered his royal cooks to create a sweet that would be as pure and white as the marble of Taj Mahal. In fact, the Petha, because of its high sugar content, was consumed like an energising toffee by thousands of workers involved in the construction of the Taj Mahal in the 17th century.

An alternative theory suggests that the Petha is a common man’s food and had no connection with the royal court. Some food historians believe that it is highly unlikely for a sweet prescribed by a Mughal emperor to be devoid of milk and mawa, or to be made solely from a local vegetable. Moreover, the Petha can be best described as a Murabba, an ancient Indian technique of preservation using sugar syrup. Numerous variants of the Agra Petha had already existed in Jharkhand, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, and Uttarakhand prior to Shah Jahan’s rule. It’s believed that the Petha’s connection to Agra actually developed in the colonial British period when Agra used to be the capital of the United Provinces. Since Agra was the place where most people would de-board or halt after long train journeys, especially for a quick snack for the kids that mostly consisted of the Petha, the sweet developed a rather unintentional connection with the city.

Despite the contesting opinions, the Agra Petha has been awarded the GI Tag and its omnipresent nature in the city is reason enough to cherish this ingenious creation and its medieval past.