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#Sawanflavours: Innovation is the key but tradition rules!
Traditional variants of Sawan delicacies are popular in the city, with innovations and modern twists also available. Traditional flavors still dominate sales. Packaging and smaller sizes are also popular, and there is a focus on gifting items. Anarse ki goli and doodh-pheni are selling well in sweet shops and even in small shops in neighborhoods.
Traditional variants of the sweet Sawan delicacies rule the counters across the city. Innovations and modern twists to the flavour will be available for two months this year. A lot is being done in terms of packaging and adding new variants to the traditional sweets but what sells best is the classic traditional avataar – crunchy, moist from inside and wrapped in flavours. We look at the trends and what rules in the market.
“From chocolate to blueberry, strawberry, mango, orange, almond, coconut, rose and many more variants are available to pick as the topping for ghewar. But the fact is that traditional flavouring rules. One can add silver or gold foil to make a buzz, but it rarely sells. Plain ghewar accounts for 65-70% of the sales while malai/rabri is in between 15-20%. Remaining all flavours account for barely 10% sale,” tells Pankaj Gupta from Ram Asrey Sweets, a 218-year-old outlet in the city.
Along with anrse ki goli and dhoodh peni currently mango dishes like kheer, lassi, kulfi and burfi are also added to Sawan special platter. On special orders sweet shops also prepare sugar-free ghewars.
Playing on size, packaging
Innovation is a part of sales especially during festivals but major acceptable change that has happene on size and packaging of traditional ghewar. “From full-size ghewar, the focus has shifted more on small and mini variants (100 gms). Mini ones are very topical and can be served easily so this variant is being preferred the most,” tells Srajal Gupta of Madhurima Sweets.
Since this is season’s gifting item also, there is a lot of focus on packaging. “There is no limit to packaging as people want different items irrespective of price. This is the first time we have introduced strong plastic and reusable boxes for big traditional ghewars. Round boxes are common, some demand expensive metal ones including silver boxes to send to daughter’s sasural,” he adds.
Mass appeal
From ₹160 to ₹600 a kg the crunchy and piping hot anarse ki goli sells across the sweet shops in the city. “I have started selling anarsa and doodh-pheni since last five days and will keep the sale till October at least. In Sawan it sells throughout the day. I make it in small quantities as consumers prefer it fresh and piping hot. Soon I will also add anarsa patti also. Moharram is starting next week so for majlis and distribution too it sells,” shares Deepak Gupta, a roadside vendor at Chowk.
Not just in major sweet shops, both anarsa goli and doodh-pheni find buyers at small in mohallas shops too.
