 Indian barfi sweets garnished with vark | |
| Alternative names | Varq, Varaq, vark, varak, varakh, varakha, etc. |
|---|---|
| Type | Garnish |
| Place of origin | Indian Subcontinent |
| Region or state | South Asia |
| Main ingredients | Silver, Gold |
Vark (also varak Waraq or warq) is a fine filigree foil sheet of pure metal, typically silver but sometimes gold,[1] used to decorate South Asian sweets and food. The silver and gold are edible, though flavorless. Vark is made by pounding silver into sheets less than one micrometre (μm) thick, typically 0.2–0.8 μm. The silver sheets are typically packed between layers of paper for support; this paper is peeled away before use.[2] It is fragile and breaks into smaller pieces if handled with direct skin contact. Leaf that is 0.2 μm thick tends to stick to skin if handled directly.
Vark sheets are laid or rolled over some South Asian sweets, confectionery, dry fruits and spices.[3][4] It is also placed onto mounds of saffron rice on platters.[4][5][6]
For safety and ethical reasons, the Government of India has issued food safety and product standards guidelines for manufacturers of silver foil.[7]
- ^ Gold in Gastronomy Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine deLafee, Switzerland (2008)
- ^ Madhu Gadia, 2000, New Indian Home Cooking: More Than 100 Delicious Nutritional, and Easy Low-fat recipes Archived 2023-10-25 at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ DK, 2017, The Periodic Table Book: A Visual Encyclopedia of the Elements Archived 2023-10-25 at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ a b Vijaya Ghose, Jaya Ramanathan, and Renuka N. Khandekar, 1992, Tirtha, the Treasury of Indian Expressions Archived 2023-10-25 at the Wayback Machine, Page 61.
- ^ Maya Tiwari, 2005, Ayurveda: A Life of Balance : the Complete Guide to Ayurvedic Archived 2023-10-25 at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ 1989, The Illustrated Weekly of India Archived 2023-10-25 at the Wayback Machine, Volume 110, Issues 36-44 - Page 39.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
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