Ooty's hill-station bakeries have their own take on biscuits and layered snacks like varkies. Here's a short introduction.
Ooty's older bakeries are almost as well known as its chocolate shops. Many hill stations in South India developed distinctive baking traditions, and Ooty is no exception — biscuits and savoury, layered snacks are a regular feature of a trip to the town's shopping streets.
What are varkies?
Varkies are a layered, flaky snack popular in parts of South India, typically made from wheat flour and shortening rolled and folded into thin layers before frying or baking. They're usually eaten as a tea-time snack.
A wide range of biscuits
Local bakeries typically offer a range of biscuits alongside varkies — butter biscuits, and increasingly, biscuits made with alternative flours like ragi (finger millet), which is a well-known regional grain in South India.
On the eGhai shelf
Our bakery range starts with a couple of varkies and biscuit options associated with this tradition. As with our other categories, we're updating each product's ingredient, weight and sourcing details as we confirm them with our makers — see each product page for what's currently known.