In the year 1935, the royal city of Mysuru was ruled by then-King “Maharaja Krishnaraja Wodeyar.” One day in the Amba Vilas Palace, where Maharaja lived, the kitchen looked as if it was set on fire with activity as the chefs were busy preparing a rich dinner for the royal family. All the dishes were ready and set on the dining table of the King except the dessert. With just a few minutes left for the royal family to finish the appetizer and then proceed with the main course “Kaksura Madappa,” the head chef, wished to prepare something new and unique for the King. So he tried mixing a few ingredients that were present in the kitchen and thus “Mysore Pak” was invented.
He mixed ghee, gram flour, and sugar by heating them into a thick syrup and serving it on the King’s plate. By the end of the meal, the stuff had cooled down slightly and was a soft, fudgy sweet. The Maharaja took his first bite, and he was awestruck by its melt-in-the-mouth texture. He summoned Madappa and asked him its name. But Madappa never thought of naming it until the King requested him to do so. Not willing to offend the Maharaja he chose an impromptu name called “Mysore Paka,” where “Paka” is a Kannada word for sweet syrup. The dessert became popular and is known as “Mysore Pak” as of today’s world. In modern recipes, cardamom, rose water, and honey are mixed in to give it a unique taste, and its consistency is similar to that of a dense butter cookie.
Foodie Maharaja Krishnaraja Wodeyar ran a majestic kitchen in Mysore’s Amba Vilas Palace
He had different types of food from European cuisine to the run-of-the-mill Hindu food and snacks that were served as “prasada” in Hindu temples cooked by chefs. He loved Mysore Pak so much that he wanted everybody to enjoy it too, and he asked Madappa to open a confectionery shop outside the palace. Other sources say that Madappa himself opened the shop; however, it is now “Guru Sweets” as of today. If you happen to be in Mysuru and want the best of Mysore Pak, please go to “Guru Sweet Mart” on Sayyaji Rao Road.
The shop belongs to Kaksura Madappa’s descendants and has been a favorite for almost 85 years now. It is run by the three brothers Natraj, Kumar, and Shivanand, who still use the original recipe. The shop feeds more than 1,000 customers every day, 40 percent of whom are from outside Mysuru who come as tourists. To this day, Mysore Pak is still the “King” of sweets in South India.