Falooda: The Original Maximalist Dessert

In May 2022, a pink-and-white candied confection took England’s breath away. The occasion? A dessert contest to commemorate 70 years of the Queen’s coronation. Out of 5,000 contestants, it was Shabnam Russo — and her rose-flavored falooda cake, with mascarpone and glace fruit — who reached the top five. While the U.K. ooh-ed and aah-ed over the dish, South Asians were unsurprised.

Silky vermicelli noodles with ice cream or crushed ice. Slithery black basil seeds. A bath of rose and khus syrup. Nuts sprinkled all over. When it comes to falooda, the whole is always greater than the parts. Sweet, savory, refreshing, smooth, cool, crunchy, velvety — it’s the perfect antidote to a hot, summer day and a satisfying end to a hearty meal.  

In the subcontinent, this almost fantastical dessert-drink is served at no-nonsense Udupi restaurants, ice cream parlors, juice centers, streetside stalls, and beaches. In the diaspora, you’ll find it on restaurant menus and even served as boba tea. The falooda is so indelibly part of South Asian cuisine today, it’s hard to imagine it was once a rarefied royal tradition. In fact, it’s one of the most oxymoronic dishes: simple yet complex, royal yet ubiquitous, requiring ice yet popular in hot climates (where it’s difficult to get any), subcontinental yet not.