I went to try 'Zoo-Zoo Dau', a specialty of Bhaktapur, the ancient capital of Nepal, also known as the 'King of Yogurt'.



Bhaktapur, located about an hour's drive east from Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, is home to buildings and large temples from the time when the capital was located, as well as a famous sweet called 'Juju Dhau.' I went there to try this sweet, known as the 'king of yogurts.'

Bhaktapur is about a 30-minute drive from Tribhuvan International Airport, Nepal's only international airport, and about an hour from the center of the capital, Kathmandu.


I arrived in Bhaktapur. It happened to be a festival day, so a ceremony was taking place in Durbar Square, known for its 'palace with 55 windows.'



We walked through a street lined with souvenir shops and other shops to Toomaddi Square.



On the left is Nyatapola Temple, the five-storeyed temple which is the tallest in Nepal, and on the right is the three-storeyed Bhairavnath Temple.



'Zuzu-dau' is a Bhaktapur specialty, and is sold in restaurants, cafes, and handicraft stores. This time, I bought it at the shop on the right side of the photo, facing the square. Each one costs about 50 rupees (57 yen).



It comes in an unglazed pottery container and is chilled in the refrigerator until just before serving, so it is cool to the touch.



Although it is called yogurt, it is not so runny that it becomes viscous, but rather has enough viscosity that it can be picked up with a wooden spatula. In terms of consistency alone, it is closer to pudding than yogurt, and we saw people who bought multiple pieces carrying them with the yogurt sides stacked on top of each other.



The taste is more like cheesecake or a slightly sour milk pudding than yogurt. It has the sourness of yogurt, but also a soft sweetness, making it the perfect dish to eat in the sunshine.



The surface of the bowl has small bumps, so it looks like this when you finish eating.



The name, which means 'King of Yogurt', is said to come from the fact that when the king of

the Bhaktapur Kingdom held a yogurt contest, Bhaktapur yogurt won over Kathmandu and Lalitpur (Patan).

The festival featured performances based on Hindu mythology.



Two boys perform at a festival in Bhaktapur, Nepal - YouTube


Two young men perform at a festival in Bhaktapur, Nepal - YouTube


Dance at a festival in Bhaktapur, Nepal - YouTube


in Coverage,   Gastronomic Adventure,   Video,   , Posted by logc_nt