Pakistan

Pakistan is an ethnically diverse country, consisting of four provinces and four federal territories. The cuisine and sweets of Punjabis and Muhajirs (descendants of immigrants from India during Partition in 1947) are very similar to those in India: halwa, jalebi, and rice pudding are especially popular. See halvah. Sweets are always part of an iftar, the meal that breaks the daily fast during the fasting month Ramadan. See ramadan. The end of Ramadan, called Eid al-Fitr, is celebrated with such desserts as sewian (vermicelli pudding) and the similar sheer khurma, vermicelli cooked in thickened, sweetened milk with nuts and raisins. Another traditional festive dish is zarda, a sweet, saffron-colored rice pilaf made with rice, thickened milk (khoya), sugar, and nuts, and flavored with rosewater. See flower waters.