Ooty varkey is a type of biscuit

food Food is any substance consumed by an organism for nutritional support. Food is usually of plant, animal, or fungal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals. The substance is inge ...

, made out of wheat flour, rice, semolina, water, ghee, sugar and salt. It can be either deep fried or baked. It is considered a local colonial era re-interpretation of the French

puff pastry Puff pastry, also known as ', is a flaky light pastry made from a laminated dough composed of dough (') and butter or other solid fat ('). The butter is put inside the dough (or vice versa), making a ' that is repeatedly folded and rolled out befo ...

History

Since the colonial rule,

Ooty Ooty (), officially known as Udhagamandalam (also known as Ootacamund (); abbreviated as Udhagai), is a city and a municipality in the Nilgiris district of the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located north west of Coimbatore and so ...

is famous for its Varkey. No one knows how or when it came in to existence or how it came to be called Varkey.

Efforts on GI (Geographical Indication) certification recognition

The president of Ooty Bakery Owners Association informed that if they are given

GI certification GI or Gi may refer to: Military * G.I., a nickname (from galvanized iron) for U.S. Army soldiers Arts and entertainment * ''GI'' (album), an album by the Germs * Gi (Captain Planet character) * ''Game Informer'', a magazine * Global Icon (band), ...

it will be a boon to the bakers in Ooty. They obtain the raw materials domestically. The properties of the water and weather in Ooty gives Varkey a distinct taste.

No Animal Fat

Ooty Varkey does not contain

animal fat Animal fats and oils are lipids derived from animals: oils are liquid at room temperature, and fats are solid. Chemically, both fats and oils are composed of triglycerides. Although many animal parts and secretions may yield oil, in commercial p ...

. There are more than 90 Varkey manufacturers in Ooty and none of them use animal fat in its production is what the president of Ooty Bakery owners Association claims.

References

Cookies Biscuits Indian snack foods Ooty Semolina dishes {{India-cuisine-stub