Who can resist freshly served hot Jalebi’s .The all time hit sweet Jalebi is extremely popular all across India. Especially during the Durga Puja Season in Assam , getting indulged in those hot fresh Jelepi’s are a must . Even though the mouth watering Jalebi or Jelepi as we call it in Assam is an all time choice which actually needs no fixed season to have it .
But surprisingly this Jalebi is originally as West Asian dish . The dish was mentioned in a persian book titled, ‘Kitab al-Tabeekh’. The nation’s most loved sweet happens to be originated from, Middle-Eastern counterpart Zalabiya or the Persian Zulbiya!
According to thebetterindia.com, the oldest mention of Zulbiya dates back to the early 10th century.
The sweet dish has been mentioned in the book ‘Kitab al-Tabeekh’ by Muhammad bin Hasan al-Baghdadi. It has been mentioned that the sweet dish is a traditional sweet distributed among the masses during Ramadan and other festivities.
Also the dish has been mentioned in another Arabic cookbook of 10th-century by Ibn Sayyar al-
Warraq.
Zulbiya and Jalebi differs in pattern and appearance , while Zulbiya has asymmetric floral pattern , Jalebi has circular pattern. Zulbiya is prepared byusing the syrup of honey and rose water and Jalebi is prepared using sugar syrup.
According to historians the recipe of Zulbiya was brought to India by Persian traders, artisans and middle-eastern invaders throughout the medieval period.
Food historian KT Achaya has written in his food book , Indian Food: A Historical Companion,– “According to Hobson-Jobson, the word jilebi is ‘apparently a corruption of the Arabic zalabiya or Persian zalibiya’. If so, both the word and the sweet, syrupy article of food that it connotes must have entered India quite early.”
According to another book-Bhojana Kutuhala – a 16th century book of recipes and food science by Raghunath also mentions about this .
