Sweets from the Indian subcontinent

Confectionery and desserts of the Indian subcontinent MithaiGulab jamunRasmalaiJalebiGujhiaSweets with varkBal mithaiSandeshPedaBarfiA sweet shop in IndiaChikkiSohan halwaA sample of sweets from the Indian subcontinent Mithai (sweets) are the confectionery and desserts of the Indian subcontinent. Sugarcane has been grown in the Indian subcontinent for thousands of years, and the art of refining sugar was invented there 8000 years ago (6000 BCE) by the Indus Valley Civilisation. The English word "sugar" comes from a Sanskrit word sharkara for refined sugar, while the word "candy" comes from Sanskrit word khaanda for the unrefined sugar – one of the simplest raw forms of sweet. Over its long history, cuisines of the Indian subcontinent developed a diverse array of sweets. Some claim there is no other region in the world where sweets are so varied, so numerous, or so invested with meaning as the Indian subcontinent. In the diverse languages of the Indian subcontinent, sweets are called by numerous names, a common name being mithai. They include sugar and a vast array of ingredients such as different flours, milk, milk solids, fermented foods, root vegetables, raw and roasted seeds,