Varq


Also known as: 
Vark, varak, waraq

Description: 
Varq is the thin silver layer seen on most commercially available Indian sweets. This edible silver has no taste of its own. It is used purely as a garnish and to add glitter to the particular sweet. Some sweet stalls have been known to notoriously use a cheaper alternative - aluminium 

Commonly used in: 
Indian sweets, paan and chyavanprash

Health benefit: 
Varq is generally considered safe to use but ingesting large quantities of silver is said to cause argyria