Although India’s economic growth is not as phenomenal as that of China, signs of its prosperity are everywhere. People have a better standard of living and can afford such luxuries as seemed impossible a mere five years ago.

Even a person with a very basic degree in business can easily get a job that pays him around 10,000-20,000 Rs. ($250-500) per month.

The art of putting silver on desserts has not stopped and these desserts prove to be the symbols of prosperity and aesthetic beauty in food.

A few years ago, the same person would have been paid around 3,000-4,000 Rs. ($75-100) per month.

Such a steep rise in income has left a lot of people with more money than they can imagine — leading to some reckless spending habits.

India was considered to be one of the richest civilizations when the British East India Company landed on its shores in 1757. It was referred to as the Golden Bird of the East, with so much gold and silver that entire buildings — like the Golden Temple in Amritsar — were plated in gold.

Signs of this prosperity have filtered down to the present generation where gold and silver are used in certain food preparations. It is said that gold and silver in small amounts were eaten by the rajahs (kings) of the past to increase strength and develop a sharp mind. Hence, a lot of desserts in India have a silver foil of sorts on top.

Today, the art of putting silver on desserts has not stopped and these desserts prove to be the symbols of prosperity and aesthetic beauty in food. But the production of this silver foil or varakh reveals a side of India that is rarely thought of when eating these delicious desserts.

A majority of varakh is manufactured in the villages around the city of Ahmedabad in the Western state of Gujarat.

While the people making the product can never dream of consuming it, the main mass of people consuming the product have no idea how it is made or the conditions of the workers.

It is estimated that Indians eat around 275 tons of silver annually in the form of varakh used in desserts, betel nut leaf, saffron drinks (another expensive food product consumed widely in India) and in Ayurvedic medicines.

The way this extremely thin layer of silver is made has been a source of some controversy in the last couple of years. A press made from layers of ox intestines is used, in which thin strips of silver are placed between the layers of intestine. The whole apparatus is placed in a leather pouch and then beaten manually for several days — for almost eight hours day.

After the desired thickness is obtained, the silver foil is put on butter paper and sold for about 20 Rs. (50 cents) per gram.

Considering the way it is made, it is ironic then the way this varakh is used. While the people making the product can never dream of consuming it, the main mass of people consuming the product have no idea how it is made or the conditions of the workers.

This method of production has caused an uproar in India where a majority of the population is vegetarian and the cow is considered to be the most sacred of all animals. Sweets made with silver are often used in temples as offering to the gods, which has moved many people to object strongly.

Also the condition of the workers making the silver foil is very bad. They are barely paid enough

India wants to catch up with the West, but it has not taken the crucial intermediate steps to ensure every person can benefit.

to buy two meals for their family, and although they cater to the tastes of the rich — they themselves live in conditions of extreme poverty.

Like those desserts, India itself poses an important question: how real are the signs of prosperity?

For every student graduating from the prestigious Indian Institute of Management, there are probably thousands more who will never see the inside of a school building. For every new millionaire, there are a thousand others who will be driven to conditions of poverty and destitution.

Behind the fancy Western brands taking over the shopping districts, there are the small store-owners who are losing business.

Just like those desserts are made by people who can never afford even a piece of their own labor, India is moving towards a future where there are arenas that can fit 100,000 people but don’t have the parking facilities or the roads to get to these arenas.