Every region of India has its own type of sweets. My late father-in-law was particularly fond of the boondi laddoo, which is a round sweet made of fried flour and sugar. Sounds awful, doesn't it? I am more partial to the milk cake of western Uttar Pradesh, the region where my in-laws originated.
A few years ago my father-in-law went to western U.P. to look up his old friends and relatives who still live in that region. He grew up there and I suspect he returned to say his last goodbyes although we couldn't have known it at the time. He returned carrying several large boxes of sweets. I eagerly examined the boxes and was most disappointed to find that they contained nothing but boondi laddoos, boondi laddoos and boondi laddoos. I was very disappointed.
"Papaji!" I said. "You have brought nothing but boondi laddoos which are easily available in Lucknow. Why did you bring these?" He muttered something about the quality of these sweets being much better than in Lucknow. I remained unconvinced.
"A boondi laddoo is just a boondi laddoo," I said. When I thought of the lovely sweets availalble in western Uttar Pradesh, the thoughts of Papaji dragging three boxes of very ordinary sweets home was almost too much for me to bear.
But he just loved boondi laddoos. Just as I love milk cake.
A few years ago my father-in-law went to western U.P. to look up his old friends and relatives who still live in that region. He grew up there and I suspect he returned to say his last goodbyes although we couldn't have known it at the time. He returned carrying several large boxes of sweets. I eagerly examined the boxes and was most disappointed to find that they contained nothing but boondi laddoos, boondi laddoos and boondi laddoos. I was very disappointed.
"Papaji!" I said. "You have brought nothing but boondi laddoos which are easily available in Lucknow. Why did you bring these?" He muttered something about the quality of these sweets being much better than in Lucknow. I remained unconvinced.
"A boondi laddoo is just a boondi laddoo," I said. When I thought of the lovely sweets availalble in western Uttar Pradesh, the thoughts of Papaji dragging three boxes of very ordinary sweets home was almost too much for me to bear.
But he just loved boondi laddoos. Just as I love milk cake.
Hmmm... perhaps he was saying his last good bye to those too...
ReplyDeleteYou know, I saw the film "Dor" the other day on TV, one of the most touching and endearing films I have ever seen. I am not sure you are familiar with it, but they at one point eat some sort of sweets, the name that I of course can not remember anymore. I wonder if they were the same you talk off. Most likely not, as the plot took place in Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan.;) But it was a good movie nevertheless.;)
ReplyDeleteHave a great Monday.;)
xoxo
I love besan ke ladoos :D. How do I pronounce Gaelikaa??
ReplyDeleteEhehehe I love the way you write about him! It's a way to keep him alive! I love these stories!
ReplyDeleteThe next time that someone brings laddus, and you don't want to eat them, just remember that I am around. Pack them nicely in a plastic box and courier them to me! In exchange, I shall send you from her two types of milk based sweets special to our part of the world!
ReplyDeleteAnd I love Soan Papdi. Good thing I don't live in India where I could get it regularly. The imported we get here in the Indian stores just doesn't compare.
ReplyDelete