The Parsi story, like that of many minority communities, is one of persecution, migration, and assimilation. In the 7th century CE, during the final years of the Muslim conquest of the Sasanian empire, the Zoroastrians fled Persia (present-day Iran). They migrated eastward until they settled in Gujarat, on India's west coast, where they became known as 'Parsi', a colloquialism for the Persian-speaking Zoroastrians.

An enduring oral tradition about the community's arrival in Gujarat goes like this: When the Parsis arrived in India, the local king, Jadi Rana, showed them a vessel full of milk — a visual metaphor for a land already densely populated, with no room for more. The Parsi high priest responded by pouring a spoonful of sugar into the milk — symbolising how his people would sweeten the society without destabilising or overpowering it. Satisfied, Jadi Rana granted the Parsis refuge in his land.

Since then, the Parsis have lived peacefully in India. Over the years, the small but influential Indian Parsi community has participated in the struggle for India's freedom, contributed to post-independence nation-building, and shaped the modern Indian society through innovation, industrialisation, education, and governance. As the Parsis have woven themselves into India's social fabric, they have also drawn from the myriad threads of India's rich and diverse regional cuisines and culinary traditions that surround them.

When the Parsis settled in Gujarat, they began to absorb local sweet traditions, incorporating dishes like semolina-based ravo, wheat-based malido, and milk-rich puddings such as doodh pak. This fusion also introduced a fondness for cardamom and nutmeg, alongside traditional Persian ingredients like saffron and rosewater. During the colonial period, particularly in Bombay (now Mumbai), the Parsis interacted with British and European communities, adopting European bakery culture. They adapted puddings, custards, sponge cakes, and pastries with Indian flavors, resulting in classic dishes such as lagan nu custard, a Parsi twist on British baked custard. The rise of Irani cafés in the late 19th and early 20th centuries further popularized sweets like mawa cake, bun maska with jam, and caramel custard, blending traditional Parsi home recipes with the city's bakery-counter culture.

Today, although the Parsis represent a community of less than 50,000 people in India, the Parsi cuisine represents some of the most interesting Indian food traditions — bringing Indian, Persian, and European influences from near and far onto the Parsi table. As the community ushers in Navroz — the Parsi New Year — on Friday, the 15th of August, here are five traditional desserts that represent the sweet soul of Parsi delights:

A festive Parsi sweet made with grated coconut, milk, sugar, and cardamom, often tinted with bright food colouring. Rich and chewy, kopra pak is a Navroz favorite that's cut into neat diamond or square pieces and garnished with slivers of pistachio.

A Parsi wedding classic, this Parsi twist on the British baked custard blends milk, eggs, and sugar with a tangy-sweet layer of date and tamarind chutney at the base. Baked until set and lightly caramelized on top, it offers a surprising contrast of creamy, sweet, and sharp sour flavours.

A beloved ceremonial sweet, ravo is made by slow-cooking semolina in milk and ghee that's sweetened with sugar and seasoned with cardamom. Garnished with fried almonds and raisins, it's served warm to mark joyous occasions.

A Parsi interpretation of the traditional Persian faloodeh, this layered dessert-drink combines rose syrup, vermicelli, soaked basil seeds, chilled milk, and ice cream. Refreshing and indulgent, falooda is a staple of Parsi summer festivities.

Prepared especially for Parsi New Year, mawa ni boi is a dense, khoya-based sweet cake molded into the shape of a fish — a Parsi symbol of prosperity. Flavoured with cardamom and sometimes saffron, it's rich, velvety, and steeped in tradition — a festive emblem of joy, togetherness, and blessings for the year ahead.

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