What was I eating?

April 28, 2006 3:04 PM

What sweet was I eating when I studied in Nepal?

I spent a semester studying in Kathmandu and used to gorge myself on an unusual sweet that I found sold at most kiosks in the downtown area. It was dark brown and had a gritty texture but was very soft and mushy. I do not think it was milk-based which would rule out burfi and the like. It appeared to be prepared in a metal pan (like one in which you would make brownies) and was shoveled with a spatula into a plastic bag when you purschased it. It was definitely "street food" and I never found it in any restaurants. Any ideas as to what it was?

posted by anonymous78 to food & drink (6 comments total)

Was it this (other images here, here and here)? If so, It was a Mysore Pak
posted by special-k at 3:36 PM on April 28, 2006

Unfortunately, based on those pictures, I do not think it was Mysore Pak.It was very mushy and almost doughy (although not sticky like dough) - not hard enough to be cut into individual pieces, just lumps.
posted by anonymous78 at 4:04 PM on April 28, 2006

Perhaps one of these?
posted by special-k at 5:07 PM on April 28, 2006

Sounds like it could be some a variety of halwa. Not that this seems to help much in narrowing down the variety, but did the sweet you had look like this?
posted by PY at 6:10 PM on April 28, 2006

PY: That sort of looks like it although what I ate was much darker - a deep, dark brown - and the consistency was very dense and thick, but sludge-like. Does halwa come in a form similar to what I have described? Also, would it be something sold as "street food"?
posted by anonymous78 at 7:44 AM on April 29, 2006

anonymous78: Thats sounds right. I've had street Halwa before in the exact same consisteny as you describe. I think you've got your answer.
posted by special-k at 1:13 PM on April 29, 2006