is a cold drink/dessert is said to have originated from Shiraz in Persia (currently Iran). It is known as Faloodeh/Faludeh in Persia and is a traditional Persian dessert. It is one of the oldest known desserts and is in existence since 400BC. The basic version of Falooda made in Persia included vermicelli noodles made of corn flour, rose water, and a dash of semi frozen sugar syrup. So why am I talking about a Persian sweets in a blog about Indian sweets? The reason is what the sweet evolved into.
Falooda, meaning shredded in idiomatic Hindi, was introduced in the Indian subcontinent during the Moghul period. The name refers to the thin vermicelli noodles that are integral part of the drink. In India, the vermicelli noodles are also known as falooda sev. Today there are a variety of Falooda versions available, such as faloodas made without the trademark vermicelli and blended with fruits, faloodas with kulfi, wheat starch noodles and different flavors of sugar syrups, and faloodas that are served as milkshakes. Most varieties of the drink originate in the various parts of India, each region having its own take. A list of faloodas can be found here.
Falooda is a dessert, beverage, sundae, ice cream float all rolled into one concoction. There are two major types of falooda, a basic falooda and a kulfi falooda. A basic falooda is made by mixing rose syrup, sweet basil, vermicelli noodles, fruit jelly, milk, ice cream and sabja seeds (holy basil seeds) into one, chilled drink. Depending on the recipe, you might see almonds and pistachios sprinkled on top as well as a variety of other Indian toppings. A recipe for an unedited falooda can be found here. A Kulfi falooda a, is usually served in a steel bowl or plate and consists of pistachio kulfi (blog on kulfi can be found here) frozen to the consistency of a popsicle, a few strings of cold vermicelli noodles and a splash of rose water-flavored syrup. A recipe for kulfi falooda can be found here.
Of the two of them, my favorite is definitely the kulfi falooda. Both are great, but I personally am partial towards kulfi. If you like something that is sweet and cold, but not exactly ice cream like, this is the sweet to try. Personally this in not my favorite sweet ever and of the sweets I have reviewed it is on the lower end, but It is worth trying if you like really sweet food. It has a great depth of flavor and every bite(or sip) tastes different. I just prefer foods on the more savory end. If you like a sweeter taste profile this is the sweet to try.
Just by looking at the image you depicted I can see how appealing it is. It looks very colorful and vibrant, and seems equally as sweet. Even if it does not have any connection to a particular holiday or celebration, it gives me Christmas vibes purely based on its presentation. I liked how you also linked it from its original Persian variant. It definitely gives me some background on how long falooda has been around, and proves how delicious it is. I do have a bit of a sweet tooth sometimes, so I would not pass down an opportunity to have some!