The food of the Pahadies of Kumaon and garhwal region is incomplete without dal, chutney and a sweet dish. The Kumaoni’s especially have a distinct sweet tooth. Their sweets are mainly dairy based. Almora a picturesque hill station in the Kumaun region, north east of Uttarakhand attracts large number of tourist from across the country for its splendid natural beauty and distinct food.
Would you believe that Almora has its own version of chocolate, that Is not made from coco beans but milk, and it has the same texture.
Almora has a brown chocolate fudge like delicacy, made with Khoya and sugar known as Bal-Mithai. It is one of the most favorite sweet of common people and the people living near almora region. Bal Mithai, with its dark chocolate like appearance covered with sugar coated white globules, definitely is a hard to resist delight from the Himalayas. It is also a primary offering to the sun god of the region.
It is believed that Bal Mithai, sneaked into the Kumaon region of the Central Himalayas from Nepal- in all probability around 7-8th century AD.
The Almora region is known for sun worship, having the most popular Katramal Sun temple. Located just about 12 kms from Almora. This Sun temple was built by Katyuri king Katramal in the 9th century. The deity of the sun temple in Katarmal is known as Burhadita or Vraddhaditya (the old Sun God). It is also possible that bur got connoted to bal over the time and the sweet is known as such.
Another theory also states that in 5th century BC the Kassite Assyrians left their homeland ‘Kummah’, on the banks of river Euphrates, and settled in the northern part of India. These inhabitants formed Koliyan tribe and having their new settlement as ‘Kumaon’. The Sun God in Assyrian Mythology is known as ‘Baal’. So the Sweet offering of the god bal became Bal mithai.
One theory also traces the work word Kumaon to the 5th century BC. The Kassite Assyrians left their homeland ‘Kummah’, on the banks of river Euphrates, and settled in the northern part of India. These inhabitants formed Koliyan tribe and having their new settlement as ‘Kumaon’.
How was the earlier bal mithai is still a mystery but the version of Bal mithai that we see today is credited to Lala Joga Ram Shah of Lal Bazaar, Almora , during early twentieth century. Joga got milk from Phalsima, the village famous all over Kumaon for its creamy dairy produce. Then he boiled it for days and nights until it evaporated into rich khoya. Sugar was added and the mixture roasted until the sugar caramelized and turned it dark brown. It was then molded into a sausage-shaped roll and studded with khus-khus seeds. That was the real baal mithai.
Today the khus khus has been replaced with silver sugar balls The best part of this dessert is that it has a long shelf life. Many tourist that visit almora make sure to carry this treat along with them.
