The Pantry / Meetha attar
Meetha attar
sweet ittar
What it is
Meetha attar is a sweet edible perfume-essence — an ittar — added a drop or two at a time to festive Awadhi dishes such as Lucknawi biryani and to sweets, in the same floral-scenting register as rose and kewra. Its exact composition varies by maker and is not consistently documented, so it is best described by its use rather than a single recipe.
What it's called
Meetha attar · meetha ittar · sweet edible attar.
In the kitchen
A drop or two, added off the heat near the end, perfumes a festive biryani or sweet — a finishing scent, never a base, and easy to overdo. Where it can't be found, a touch of rose or kewra water sits in the same register.