Nepal

The mountainous country of Nepal has 100 ethnic groups, many with their own distinctive cuisines and dishes. Indian sweets are popular, especially in the capital, Kathmandu. Most indigenous Nepali sweets are far less likely to be milk-based and are less sugary than Indian sweets. Local sweets include sel-roti, crisp deep-fried rounds of ground rice and bananas that are made during family celebrations and religious festivals, especially Tihar Bhai Tika (the equivalent of Diwali); malpuwa, wheat pancakes soaked in sugar syrup; and khajuri, flaky cookies made from flour, sugar, and clarified butter pressed into molds and then fried in clarified butter. Sweets made of sugar and molasses from various sources (including palm and sugarcane) and sesame seeds are also popular. See palm sugar.