Silver foil used to decorate indian sweets

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Letter PAMHO:5493216 (30 lines)

Bimal Krsna (das) BCS (Manor - UK)

29-Apr-02 14:12 (07:12 -0700)

UK Forum [2404]

silver foil used to decorate indian sweets

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The following will provide some answers to the claims that 'Varakh' or the

silver foil used to decorate Indian sweets is prepared by the use of cows

intestines:

 

If you keenly observe this VARAKH under a microscope then one would see

traces of blood, stools and saliva of a cattle or ox.There is no question as

to whether VARAKH is a silver foil or not but to prepare this VARAKH

important parts of the CATTLE/OX is made use of.

 

Intestines are cut into small pieces and then are bound together as pages in

a notebook. A silver block is placed in the middle of these bound

intestines, and the whole thing is placed in a leather bag and sealed.

Experts, who know how to make VARAKH, pound the bag with wooden sticks, till

the entire bag flattens out. The silver block would by this time be turned

into silver foil. This Silver foil would now be separated from the intestine

pack and will be placed on paper. This is VARAKH, which reaches the market

ready for use.

 

Even staunch vegetarians, who shy away from egg, unknowingly consume this as

a part of sweet, pan and arecanut. Some unknowingly consume this because of

the additional taste that VARAKH provides. Now the question is "Why the

intestines of the cattle/ox? Why not something else?" The reason behind

using the intestines of the cattle/ox for preparing the VARAKH is because of

the elasticity of the intestines. They do not get cut even after a severe

pounding.

 

This aspect is brought out in the magazine "Beauty without cruelty" and the

Television show of Maneka Gandhi, "Heads and Tails". Taranga, a weekly

magazine in Kannada.

 

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