Naivedya is the act and the substance of offering food to God — one of the core upacharas (services) in a traditional puja. The food must be sattvic, freshly prepared, and untasted before the offering; it is placed before the deity, sanctified with mantras and gestures, and the deity is invited to partake. Once offered, the food becomes prasad and is shared among devotees — the same item is naivedya going to the deity and prasad coming back. Specific deities have favored offerings: modak for Ganesha, butter and milk sweets for Krishna, and the famous temple naivedyas such as Tirupati laddu have centuries-old codified recipes.