Sometimes known as varak or warq, vark is a fine filigree foil sheet of pure metal – usually silver though sometimes gold – used to decorate South Asian confectionery and food.
Pulses, Beans, Peas, & Grains
- Arhar dal/toor/tuvar/togre bele: Pigeon peas
- Atta: Whole wheat flour
- Bajra: Pearl millet
- Barri/chena/vair: Proso millet
- Besan: Bengal gram flour/gram flour made from brown chickpeas
- Bhat: Boiled rice
- Chana/Chole: Whole chickpeas/garbanzo beans
- Chana dal/kala chana dal: split, skinless black chickpeas/ Bengal gram/yellow gram
- Chana kala: Bengal gram or black chickpea
- Chawal/chaval: Rice
- Chaval ka atta: Rice flour
- Cholia/Hara (Green) Chana: Chickpeas
- Chana ka atta/Besan: Gram flour
- Dal/Daal/: Split lentils/pulses
- Dalia/samba rava: Cracked wheat
- Gehun: Wheat
- Jau: Barley
- Jhangora: Barnyard millet
- Jowar: Sorghum millet
- Kulthi: Horse gram
- Lobia/lobhia/chawli: Black eyed peas/cowpeas
- Jowar/juvar: Sorghum
- Kabuli chana: White gram/chickpeas
- Kala/kali chana/kalaith/kulthi: Horse gram/black chana/chickpeas
- Kakum/kangni: Foxtail millet
- Kodra: Millet, kodo
- Kurmura: Puffed rice
- Kutki: Litte millet
- Kuttu ka atta: Buckwheat
- Maida: All-purpose flour/refined flour/fine wheat flour
- Makai ka atta: Cornmeal/maize flour/cornflour
- Masoor dal: Split red lentils
- Matar dal: Dried peas, split
- Moong dal: Split green gram/small yellow lentils
- Motth: Moth beans
- Poha/chiwda: Beaten/flattened rice
- Quinoa: Quinoa
- Ragi: Finger millet
- Rajma: Red kidney beans
- Saboodana/shudhana/sabudana: Sago, starch from the sago palm
- Sabut moong: Whole moong beans/green moong
- Sooji/suji/rava: Semolina
- Safed/sukhe/sookhe or vatana matar/mutter: Dried green or white peas
- Tuar/Arhar Daal: Peas, pigeon/red gram:
- Urad/urid dal/dhuli: Black gram split and skinless
- Urad/urid dal with chilka: Black gram split with skin
- Urad/urid dal/sabut: Black gram whole
- Vaal dal: Fava/horse/broad beans
- Vatana: Dried white or green peas; see also safed/sukhe/sookhe
- Vilayati jown/jai: Oats
Meat and Poultry
- Buttak/battak: Duck
- Gosht: Red meat (beef, lamb, or mutton)
- Maans: Meat
- Murgh/murghi: Chicken
- Suar ka: Pork
- Ghee: Clarified butter
- Kusan/kusumbo: Safflower oil
- Makhanphal tael: Avocado oil
- Narial ka tael: Coconut oil
- Saron ka tael: Mustard oil
- Tel: Oil
How is Vark Made | Edible Silver Leaf
FAQ
What is varakh in english?
Is vark real silver?
Is silver coating on sweets harmful?
Is edible silver leaf good for you?
Where can I find Vark?
Vark (or varak) is a type of edible silver pounded down into thin sheets. You can find vark at a specialty Indian grocery store or online —make sure you’re purchasing the edible kind. When you purchase silver leaf, you will notice that the thin sheet of silver is placed in between two thin sheets of paper, like a booklet.
Is Varak edible?
It is an incredibly thin foil made from very pure silver. The use of varak is entirely decorative. Although the silver that is used to make the garnish is edible, it is mostly flavorless. Ingesting large quantities of silver can cause argyria, which is a cosmetic disorder in which the skin becomes discolored, having a gray or bluish hue.
What is Varak used for?
· Varak is also used in flavored syrups as in kesar (saffron) syrup. · It is often added to champagne, fine baked goods, candies, and a holiday cake creates exquisite desserts and memorable dining experiences. · The silver leaf cannot be digested; therefore, there are no benefits from its consumption.
How is Vark spelled?
Vark is sometimes spelled Varaq, varq, vark, varkh, varakh, varkha, or waraq (Hindi: वरक़, Urdu: ورق ). The tradition of using silver and gold foils to decorate food originated from the ancient Ayurvedic practice of using precious metals and pieces of pearl and conch shell in bhasma (medicinal ash).