The sight of steamed parcels of pulverized corn, tightly bound in their husks, often misleads Nepalis as they pass by. At restaurant Raithaane’s stall at a farmers’ market, south of Nepal’s capital Kathmandu, the dish has been served since hariyo makkai (sweet corn) came into season. Served alongside achaar, a catch-all term for ferments and pickles, the dish hails from Eastern Nepal, not, as many locals would assume, Central America. They’re not tamales, they are langkucha. The ancient city of Patan has a cobweb of alleys lined with intricate earthen…
