Santra Barfi

Nagpur orange fudge — the signature sweet of Nagpur: fresh Nagpur santra (mandarin orange) juice reduced slowly with sugar until it reaches a thick, fragrant concentrate, then mixed into a base of khoya (reduced milk solids) with cardamom and a few drops of orange food colour, set in a greased tray, and cut into small diamond or square pieces when set. The fresh orange's essential oil aroma — released during the slow reduction — infuses the entire fudge with a natural citrus fragrance that no artificial orange flavouring can replicate; the orange juice's natural pectin helps the fudge set. The most famous souvenir sweet from Nagpur; Nagpur orange barfi shops near the railway station are legendary. The barfi must be made with freshly squeezed local santra — imported mandarin juice produces a completely different, inferior result.