Sweets that earlier had the word "pak" in their names are now being sold with the word "shree" instead. For example, Mysorepak is being marketed as Mysoreshree, Motipak as Motishree, and Kesarpak as Kesarshree.
This change is reportedly being made because the word pak resembles PAK, a common abbreviation for Pakistan, and shop owners say they want to avoid negative associations.
However, this change ignores the original meaning of the word pak. The word is derived from Sanskrit and comes from the root "pac", which means "to cook".
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Pak simply means "cooked" or "prepared", and it has been used in Indian languages for centuries. Words like pakwan (delicacy) and pakshastra (culinary science) are examples of this.
The sweet Mysorepak was first made during the reign of King Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV of Mysore by his royal chef Kakasura Madappa.
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When asked about the dish, the cook explained that it was "a pak (cooked item) from Mysore," which is how it got the name Mysorepak. The sweet later became popular across South India.
In classical texts like the Yajurveda, the word pishtapak appears, referring to cooked items made from flour. This further shows that pak is an ancient term with roots in Indian tradition, which is not connected in any way to the country Pakistan.
Replacing it out of misunderstanding dilutes the historical and cultural meaning of the sweets' names.