Both cases aren’t quite desirable and all of us want to come off as the perfect hosts. While treating the guest’s right, one tough and difficult choice is what to serve them so that you’re regarded as a good person to come and visit! Here’s where we come up with the most brilliant of solutions, introducing to you, ’Honey Shots’. Now you’re probably wondering what the hell are we talking about, so let’s give you a small background. If you travel back in time with us, to the very roots of the Indian cultures with the ancient Indian customs you’ll come across Madhuparka, a popular custom with reference to guests. ‘Madhuparka is the practice of offering honey to honour a distinguished guest. According to Yājñavalkyasmṛti 1.110, six kinds of people are offered madhuparka – a priest (ṛtvik), a teacher (ācārya), bridegroom, king, graduate (snātaka), and someone dear to the host.’ Sounds intense doesn’t it?
Here’s what this basically means – if you offer your guest a delicious dollop of honey you’ll not only be making your life much easier, with no sweet preparations and long hours in the kitchen required to toil for the otherwise intricate desserts like the halwas. What it also means is that you’re not treating your guests like any ordinary person would treat their visitors in an ordinary fashion, you’re taking it to the next level! You’re giving your guests a holy offering, making it a very special scene altogether, with the Madhuparka being of ancient cultural importance and a sign of great respect. You can tell your guests that you’re going to be removing something very special from your sweet arsenal, something that you usually reserve for very rare special guests. Tell them that when the Sharmas had visited them last evening, all you offered was biscuits and soft drinks but now that they’re here, you’re pulling out the big guns just to please your special guests.
What you’ll get are a bunch of happy folks that feel privileged and a much easier life when guests are over! Honey shots for the win guys!