Diwali mithai shopping guide: Know which sweets to buy, when to shop, how to store them and avoid food waste

Soan papdi is not the only Diwali mithai you can gift! Buy dry sweets a few days ahead, but leave fresh milk-based varieties until just before Diwali.

The ‘festival of light’, Diwali, is synonymous with gifting sweets. Sweet hampers are common around this time, and they are prepared for friends and family as auspicious symbols of prosperity and good fortune. The Indian sweet landscape has a wide variety of options, beyond the familiar favourites.

But a generic sweet box won't cut it if you are trying to be mindful about your choices. If you are planning to shop for sweets, you need to be careful about which ones you choose, as different sweets have different storage needs and shelf lives.

In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Umesh Kumar Agarwal, director, Haldiram Marketing Pvt. Ltd. shared practical tips on choosing sweets – when to buy different varieties, which types to gift for different occasions and, most importantly, how to avoid food waste.

How many days before Diwali should you buy different sweets?

Kaju Katli is one of the common Diwali sweets.

Your timing depends on the type of mithai you choose.

“Go by milk content. The more milk a sweet has, the later you buy it,” Umesh advised.

He said soan papdi, besan ladoo, kaju katli and most dry-fruit sweets can be bought four to five days ahead, provided their labelled shelf life and storage instructions allow it. Sealed namkeen packs can be purchased even earlier.

For Khoya sweets, such as barfi and peda, Umesh recommended shopping closer to Diwali. Fresh milk-based sweets need more careful timing.

“Anything fresh and milky, say rasgulla, rasmalai, sandesh, kalakand or milk cake, should come home the day before Diwali or that very morning.”

Instead of buying everything in one go, divide your purchases to help keep sweets fresh. Umesh also reminded buyers to check the best-before date and storage instructions on each pack.

Which sweets are better for gifting when the box may not be opened right away?

Besan laddoos are one of the perfect choice for sweet hampers that won't be opened immediately. (AI generated image)

Some sweet boxes are not opened right away, particularly those gifted at offices or sent to friends over long distances. Some hampers may remain unopened for days after Diwali.

For such situations, Umesh recommended kaju katli, soan papdi, besan laddoo, certain dry-fruit barfis, and assorted dry fruits, as these usually hold up well. Sealed namkeen is another option. However, it is important to check the label, as shelf life varies.

He cautioned against gifting rasgulla, rasmalai and other syrupy or fresh milk sweets if the recipient cannot refrigerate them soon after delivery.

How can families plan purchases to avoid buying too much and wasting food?

Gifting sweets at Diwali is a loving gesture, but boxes can pile up and end up going to waste. This is why you need to plan your purchases and avoid buying too much.

Umesh shared four ways to keep purchases manageable and reduce waste:

1. Make two separate lists: Plan gifts separately from sweets for your household, and base quantities on the number of guests you expect.
2. Split your shopping into two trips: Buy dry sweets and packaged namkeen earlier, leaving fresh sweets for closer to Diwali. Check what is already at home before the second trip.
3. Allow for incoming gifts: Buy a little less to account for sweets boxes you may receive from friends and family.
4. Share extras when they are fresh: If unable to finish, give to neighbours, household staff, friends, keeping storage requirements in mind.

“Plan a little, and the festival feels less frantic, and far less ends up in the bin,” he added.

What should people keep in mind when carrying or sending sweets to another city?

People also carry sweets over long distances when travelling home to celebrate Diwali. In this case, Umesh advised, "If the travel involves covering a long distance, then dry sweets such as laddoos or dry fruits should be preferred over milk-based sweets or sweets soaked in syrup, since the former can be easily carried and even last longer.”

The precautions you need to take also depend on whether you are carrying the sweets yourself or sending them through a courier.

Umesh outlined this set of precautions:

If you are carrying them yourself:

• Airline regulations: Rasgullas and gulab jamuns come packaged in syrup, and thus, can be considered a liquid in terms of cabin baggage purposes,as per the airline's restrictions of the airline. Please refer to the rules of your airline before you board.
• Avoid excessive heat: Don’t keep these sweets in a hot car. Let them sit on the hot dashboard for some time, and their flavour and consistency will get ruined. Milk-based sweets might become toxic.
• Insulation: If the item requires cold storage, then pack it in an insulated bag/box.

If you are going to ship through a courier:

• Select suitable sweets: Dry items, packed sealed namkeen, and dry fruits have more chances to withstand transport as compared to perishable milk-based sweets.
• Timing of the parcel dispatch: Avoid sending parcels before the weekend/holiday season since they might get stuck. Send your parcel a few days in advance.
• Packaging of sweets: Use a strong box with adequate packaging material inside to avoid any damage to the sweets on the way.
• Inform recipient: Let them know about the arrival of the parcel. In this way, they can pick it up in time and properly store the sweets.