Most tourists visiting the Nilgiris take home not just memories of the district’s iconic landscapes but also the taste of its unique delicacies. One of the most popular specialities, alongside its homemade chocolates, is the “Ooty varkey,” origins of which can be traced to the late 1800s.
Although its exact origins remain a mystery, it is believed the sweet ‘biscuit’ was produced as an “Indianised” version of a British biscuit, rusk or puff pastry which was popular among the British and Indian aristocracy during the colonial era.
