Yomari

Yomari is the sweet soul of Newari cuisine, made for Yomari Punhi, the harvest festival that celebrates the first rice of the season. A pliable dough of rice flour is shaped into little cones, stuffed with chaku — thick, dark molasses — and sesame, then steamed until glossy. The shape is said to honor the goddess of grain, and the whole valley fills with their sweet scent during the festival. Making them is a family affair, with the best shapers teaching the youngest.

Fig-shaped treasures from the Newar kitchen

The outside is soft and slightly chewy, while the filling turns molten and intensely sweet, with a nutty crunch from the sesame. The molasses darkens as it heats, and the first bite spills warm, honeyed caramel across your tongue. Eaten warm, they are the closest thing to a hug in dessert form — and proof that rice flour can do almost anything.

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