Beyond the recipe: How sweets, color, and aroma define Madhes culture

Agency: “It’s Langlati. It’s very delicious, made with khuwa (a dense, unsweetened dairy food made by boiling milk and reducing it until the moisture evaporates, leaving a solid mass of milk solids),” insisted Ashok Yadav, a social worker from Siraha. It hadn’t been long since the author had a full meal in Siraha Bazaar of Madhes. As the author prepared to leave after a thirty- or forty-five-minute meeting, Ashok’s kind heart couldn’t allow it.

“It is hot, and the journey is long. Please have some curd and then go,” it was understood that the Madhes host’s hospitality would not be denied. He drove the car all the way to Gulariya, Siraha. This place, once dangerous to walk alone in, is becoming lively, and a particular shop for curd, lassi (a traditional curd-based drink), and sweets has blossomed there. Like a resting place for travelers coming toward Siraha from the North or from Choharba, everyone stops once, eats curd and lassi, and then continues on their way.

When the curd tasted a bit sour, Ashok ordered Langlati, which the author tried for the first time. The taste of the seemingly simple sweet, served on a piece of newspaper, was extraordinary. “It’s Langlati. It’s very delicious, made with khuwa (a dense, unsweetened dairy food made by boiling milk and reducing it until the moisture evaporates, leaving a solid mass of milk solids),” insisted Ashok Yadav, a social worker from Siraha. It hadn’t been long since the author had a full meal in Siraha Bazaar of Madhes. As the author prepared to leave after a thirty- or forty-five-minute meeting, Ashok’s kind heart couldn’t allow it.

“It is hot, and the journey is long. Please have some curd and then go,” it was understood that the Madhes host’s hospitality would not be denied. He drove the car all the way to Gulariya, Siraha. This place, once dangerous to walk alone in, is becoming lively, and a particular shop for curd, lassi (a traditional curd-based drink), and sweets has blossomed there. Like a resting place for travelers coming toward Siraha from the North or from Choharba, everyone stops once, eats curd and lassi, and then continues on their way.

When the curd tasted a bit sour, Ashok ordered Langlati, which the author tried for the first time. The taste of the seemingly simple sweet, served on a piece of newspaper, was extraordinary.