Flavours of Festivities: How Festival Tastes Influence Product Innovation
India, the land of diverse cultural regions and vibrant festivals, celebrates every occasion with its own unique culinary identity. At the heart of these festivities lies an array of traditional sweets, laddoos, pedas, gulab jamun, modak, and more, each carrying the essence of heritage and togetherness. These mithais are more than just desserts; they are edible symbols of joy, family, and tradition.
In recent years, however, a wave of flavour innovation has begun to transform the landscape of Indian sweets. Driven by nostalgia and a desire to reconnect with roots, consumers are welcoming reimagined versions of their favourite mithais in contemporary categories. Flavours like gulab jamun, rasgulla, jalebi, kaju katli, peda, Petha and thandai are no longer confined to traditional formats, they are finding new life in chocolates, ice creams, cakes, dairy drinks, and beyond.
Take gulab jamun and rasgulla, for example, once reserved for festive thalis, they now rank among the top flavour inspirations, with over 60% of Indian consumers expressing interest in seeing them in sweet bakery products and fusion desserts. Innovation goes further with rose-pista laddoos, chocolate-filled modaks, saffron cheesecakes, and mithai-inspired confectionery that transform timeless flavours into indulgent, modern-day favourites. Even within mithai itself, reinvention thrives, Motichoor Ladoo ice cream, Gulab Jamun-flavoured cakes, and barfi-based chocolate bars are seasonal crowd-pleasers, striking the perfect balance between heritage and novelty.
At the centre of this evolution is nostalgia. In today’s fast-paced and globalised world, the longing for familiar tastes and cultural anchors runs deeper than ever. By reinterpreting traditional sweets for modern lifestyles, brands are not only safeguarding culinary heritage but also making it relevant, exciting, and accessible for younger generations.
India Market Callout: Ethnic Trends & Nostalgia
The Indian snack and packaged food market is witnessing a surge of ethnic and nostalgia-led innovation, as brands tap into the emotional pull of heritage flavours. Consumers are increasingly gravitating toward mithais such as ghewar, barfi, gajar halwa, rasmalai, phirni, payasam, kulfi, mysore pak, and sheer kurma, especially during festive occasions.
This wave of “newstalgia” is reimagining these classics into contemporary indulgences: ghewar-inspired cheesecakes, barfi-infused cookies, gajar halwa ice creams, rasmalai fusion cakes, phirni puddings, payasam beverages, kulfi-based sundaes, Mysore pak chocolates, and sheer kurma milkshakes. Seasonal launches and region-specific twists deepen cultural connect, keeping traditions alive while appealing to modern palates. By blending authenticity with innovation, brands are connecting with younger audiences seeking novelty and older generations yearning for familiarity, making ethnic nostalgia a powerful growth engine in India’s packaged food industry.
Festival Flavours Beyond Mithai
Innovation in food today is less about inventing the unheard-of and more about reimagining the familiar in fresh, exciting ways. Indian mithais, with their rich flavours and emotional pull, are stepping out of their traditional roles to inspire entirely new experiences. Syrupy classics like gulab jamun and rasgulla are transforming into molten-centre cupcakes, artisanal donuts, decadent sundaes, and playful café beverages. Creamy favourites such as rasmalai and rabdi are inspiring delicate macarons, gourmet fudge, and luxury pralines. Iconic treats like kaju katli, barfi, and peda are finding new expressions as nut-butter spreads, artisan bonbons, and functional energy bars.
Regional treasures such as ghewar and mysore pak are being elevated into crunchy tart bases, plated desserts, and indulgent snack bars. Playful icons like jalebi and petha are finding fresh relevance in innovative snack formats. Petha, once known for its translucent sweetness, now comes in flavours such as saffron, rose, mango, paan, and chocolate, inspiring creations from churros and cereal clusters to soft gourmet gummies. Comfort-led classics like gajar halwa and phirni are inspiring seasonal pies, stuffed croissants, and baked delights, while the humble laddoo is reinvented into protein bites, millet clusters, and nutrient-packed snacks. Even modak, traditionally a festive delicacy, is finding a modern twist as a frappe, blending its sweet coconut filling with chilled coffee or milk for a refreshing contemporary treat.
Dairy-led traditions are becoming a hub of experimentation, with classics such as thandai, kulfi, payasam, and sheer kurma inspiring spiced coolers, frozen yoghurts, oat bowls, and vegan lattes. Mishti doi, with its caramelised tang, has evolved beyond clay pots into milkshakes, frozen yoghurt cups, cheesecakes, and cultured drinks, bringing heritage flavours to everyday indulgence. Festive-flavoured yoghurts such as saffron-pistachio, rose-cardamom, or gajar halwa parfaits are turning celebration into convenience, offering a daily taste of tradition. Together, these innovations demonstrate that mithais are no longer confined to sweets but are becoming versatile flavour carriers across snacking, beverages, bakery, and functional foods, keeping heritage alive while appealing to contemporary lifestyles.
Keva as a go to partner
In a world where tradition meets innovation, festivals are the perfect canvas for creativity. Keva blends cultural authenticity with modern innovation, helping brands transform timeless festival favourites into contemporary indulgences. Keva Flavours stands as the ideal partner for brands seeking to reimagine traditional Indian sweets into modern, indulgent formats that resonate with today’s consumers. With a diverse portfolio spanning natural and nature-identical formats, Keva brings to life iconic profiles such as saffron, cardamom, rose, and kesar-pista, tailored for innovative applications across dairy, bakery, beverages, confectionery, and more. Behind every creation lies the expertise of Keva’s flavour creators and application specialists, who blend recipe mastery with rigorous trials and iterative refinements. Their sensorial expertise ensures that each flavour is layered with richness, balance, and authenticity, while being optimized for consistency and performance across categories. The result is indulgent, market-ready recipes that transform festive nostalgia into contemporary delights, empowering brands to launch products that feel both timeless and refreshingly new.
With a strong foundation in market insights and trend analysis, Keva partners with brands to anticipate and adapt to changing consumer preferences. Our expertise spans the entire innovation journey, identifying growth drivers, exploring market opportunities, benchmarking products, and facilitating creative brainstorming sessions. At every stage, from flavour ideation and prototyping to recipe refinement and consumer validation, our team brings a solution-focused mind set and a dedication to authenticity. This holistic approach enables brands to launch festive creations that honour tradition while delivering modern indulgence.
To explore more, visit our blogs or write to us at connect.flavours@keva.co.in
ArrayKeva has an extensive flavour shop for various food and beverage applications, besides a team of expert flavourists and food technologists for creating custom flavours and matches. To partner with us, contact Keva today.
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30 Aug 2025
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The statements, views, thoughts and opinions expressed on blog or social media are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Keva Flavours or its parent organisation. The company does not take any responsibility for the views of the author.