Do you know Jalebi is not Indian?
Do you know Jalebi is not Indian?
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Jalebis are all time favourite sweet dish of every Indian. A platter full of hot and crispy Jalebis with some chilled Rabri on the top is a treat. Being an integral part of Indian Cuisine, do you know that Jalebi is actually not Indian.
Yes, you heard it right! Our very own crispy, hot and sweet jalebi is unfortunately not Indian in origin. Let's us take a look at the history of Jalebi.

*The origin of Jalebi
According to the oldest reference of jalebi, it was mentioned in the 13th century by a writer. He featured all the dishes of the time in a cookbook titled, 'Kitab al-Tabeekh'. Where jalebi was first mentioned as ‘Zalabiya’ with its origin in West Asia. During the medieval time, Zalabiya was introduced to Indian cuisine and became an inseparable part of festivals and celebrations. The makeover from Zalabiya to Jalebi happened in the 15th century when the Jain author Jinasura talked about it in the famous scripture called Priyamkarnrpakatha.

*The diverse face of Jalebi
Irrespective of the ingredients, the magic lies in the universal flavour. The sweet orange dish has names like ‘
jilbi’, ‘zelapi’, ‘jilipi’, ‘jilapir’, ‘jahangiri’, and ‘pak’, in West Asia. Generally made with all-purpose flour in India, it is also made with rice flour, wheat flour, semolina and besan in certain parts of the world.

*Verdict
Just like samosa, jalebi is also not ours but look at the coincidence that they both are an inseparable part of the Indian cuisine. This reminds us of the flavourful combination they both make as a morning breakfast delight or even as an evening snack after an exhausting day. It speaks volumes about how we as a nation are open to accepting and assimilating the good things of other cultures.

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