The Sweet Shop

January 29, 2008

The sign on the shop said "Adyar, Ananda Bhavan, Sweets & Snacks". I had no idea what to expect. My co-workers in Bangalore had recommended this place when I told them I wanted to buy some Indian sweets to take back to my friends and co-workers in the U.S. They had also recommended a specific sweet, "Mysore Pak".

Most of the other shops I had visited in Bangalore had been intended for tourists whereas this one was for the local residents. Would they even speak English?

Inside it was crowded and noisy. I found a long metal counter with a glass in front so that the customers could see but not touch the wares. It was similar to a typical butcher's display in the U.S. Behind the glass was a bewildering array of shapes, colors, and sizes. Each had a small sign with the name and price. It didn't take me too long to find Mysore Pak. In fact I found three different ones.

The next problem was to get waited on. There were a lot of customers and no semblance of a waiting line or "take a number". But before long someone asked what I wanted. Had he taken pity on the timid foreigner or was that just normally how it was done?

The salesman seemed to think I just make a different selection. He gave me a small sample of each so that I could compare. I could detect a subtle difference in the flavor but they both seemed delicious to me--so soft they broke apart in my mouth, and sweet--very sweet. (I later learned that the ingredients were chick-pea flour, sugar, honey, and gee. Gee is made from clarified butter and gives many Indian sweets their richness.)

I realized I had no idea how much to buy. The sign said "200 rupees per kg." 200 rupees is about US$5. But how much is a kilogram? I saw someone else buy something. He got a very small amount, and the display on the scale said 1.00 which I assume meant 1.00 kg. He didn't get very much. So I decided to get one kg. If I read the scale correctly he gave me quite a bit more. I handed him 200 rupees but he said I no and pointed to some other guy at one end of the counter. My purchase disappeared and I went down to the end of the counter. There my purchase reappeared, I paid my 200 rupees and I was on my way.

The whole event only took a few minutes, and it wasn't that different from buying candy here. Still it was an adventure.