Once a popular campsite for the officers of the British era, who settled in and around Ooty (the hill station that is often called the ‘queen of the hills’), the Nilgiris has its own culinary legacy. This crucial purchase is not just for personal consumption but also to distribute to their neighbours and friends.
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To this day, it is not uncommon to catch glimpses of families buying varkeys in large quantities to take back home with them. Along with the lush botanical gardens, expansive tea plantations and homemade chocolates, tourists made sure they tried varkeys when they visited. For anybody who grew up in this part of the country, summer vacations invariably meant a trip to the Nilgiris. When dunked into chai, the layers soften and melt in the mouth.Īptly called the ‘Queen of the Western Ghats’, the Nilgiris (literally ‘Blue Mountains’ in Tamil) are located along the border of Kerala and Tamil Nadu in south India and boast of a rich history. Usually dome-shaped, varkeys are made of refined flour, sugar, salt and hydrogenated vegetable oil (or vanaspati) and are mildly sweet to taste. The snack consists of innumerable layers, all of which are crunchy and flaky. The process is simple: You take a varkey, dunk into a glass of chai and bite into its multilayered goodness.Īt first glance, varkeys look like a modern-day cross between puff pastry and cookies. But in the Nilgiris, a district dotted with picturesque hill stations in south India, varkeys rule the roost.
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In the plains, Indians predominantly rely on biscuits and deep-fried snacks to accompany a piping hot cup of chai. Chai time anywhere in India is incomplete without something to bite into.