KATHMANDU, Nepal — By Aakshya Kandel & Umanga Kunwar
Sweets (mithai) are deeply ingrained in Nepali culture, as they play a significant role in festivals and traditions. In Nepal, mithai is used during religious ceremonies, weddings, birthdays, and festivals such as Tihar and Dashain. It symbolizes happiness, generosity, and sharing. Nepali mithai reflects the nation’s diverse cultural heritage by incorporating both regional specialties and influences from neighboring cuisines.
Based in Kathmandu, Makkuse is a premium Nepali dessert brand that creates modern luxury food products using traditional Nepali sweets. The company was founded in 2020 by Anushka Shrestha, former Miss Nepal World 2019, with the aim of preserving Nepali cuisine while giving it a global identity. The idea for Makkuse originated from a simple observation that traditional Nepali sweets, such as gundpak and pustakari, were gradually losing their contemporary appeal and were not being presented in a way that could compete in international markets. Her vision was to reimagine these sweets not merely as food products but as cultural experiences that could be shared around the world.
Makkuse focuses on products such as gundpak, pustakari, and fusion desserts like mocha gundpak and chocolate-infused cookies. According to official brand information, all products are made using khuwa (slowly reduced milk cooked over many hours), giving the sweets a rich and traditional flavor rooted in Newari culture. The brand emphasizes authenticity and heritage, stating that each product carries the warmth and soul of Nepal and is inspired by recipes passed down through generations.
A key part of Makkuse’s identity is its packaging system. The brand uses luxury gift-box packaging, glass jars, and eco-friendly materials such as paper wraps and Lokta paper boxes. The packaging is designed not only for protection but also to create a premium gifting experience. Each box is carefully designed, combining modern aesthetics with traditional Nepali artistic elements. This approach allows Makkuse to position its sweets as luxury gifts rather than everyday consumables. According to a case study on packaging strategies, Makkuse places strong emphasis on presentation, customization, and sustainable materials, making packaging one of its strongest competitive advantages.
The Nepali sweets industry remains largely unorganized and is dominated by small local shops that focus on daily consumption rather than branding or export readiness. Traditional sweets such as laddu, barfi, sel-roti, gundpak, and jalebi are widely available in Nepal, but most are produced in small-scale kitchens without standardized packaging or long shelf-life preservation methods. In contrast, Makkuse represents a shift toward the premiumization of Nepali sweets. It targets urban consumers, tourists, and especially Nepalese people living abroad. The brand has positioned itself in the luxury gifting segment, where products are not only consumed but also given as gifts during festivals, weddings, and corporate events.
However, the overall market size for processed sweets exported from Nepal remains extremely small. According to international trade data (UN COMTRADE), Nepal’s exports of sugar confectionery products have been very limited. In 2022, shipments were estimated at around USD 845,000, and depending on classification, they were even lower at approximately USD 131,000. This demonstrates that most sweets are still consumed domestically and that Nepal has not yet established a strong confectionery export industry. This gap between domestic tradition and global opportunity creates space for brands like Makkuse to become pioneers in building Nepal’s sweet export identity.
The fusion of authentic cultural heritage with gourmet appeal can help Makkuse differentiate itself from standard exports and move from commodity pricing toward a premium Himalayan luxury brand. The storytelling behind its artisanal production methods, khuwa-based recipes, and eco-friendly packaging helps Makkuse stand out in the global marketplace.
When comparing Makkuse with globally successful traditional sweets such as Turkish baklava, an important lesson emerges about how cultural foods become international products. Baklava, a layered pastry made with nuts and syrup, originated in the Ottoman Empire and is now one of the most globally recognized desserts. Its success comes not only from taste but also from industrial production, standardized recipes, strong branding, and global distribution networks.
Makkuse and baklava share similarities in cultural depth and traditional roots, but they differ significantly in scale and global reach. Baklava has become a globally exported product worth hundreds of millions of dollars annually, supported by Turkey’s strong food export industry. It is available in supermarkets, restaurants, and luxury dessert stores worldwide.
In contrast, Makkuse operates in a premium niche market and is still in its infancy. Because Nepali sweets such as gundpak and pustakari are distinctive and less widely marketed than baklava or Indian mithai, their authenticity is one of their greatest advantages. Makkuse has a significant competitive edge in terms of cultural authenticity because of its uniqueness. However, Nepali sweets remain constrained by their short shelf life, limited industrial production, and lack of international distribution networks when compared to baklava. In simple terms, baklava succeeded because it combined tradition with industrial scale, while Makkuse represents the early stage of that same journey for Nepali sweets.
The international market for ethnic and traditional foods is growing rapidly. Consumers in countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Gulf nations are increasingly interested in culturally authentic desserts. This trend is driven by globalization, migration, and the growing popularity of gourmet gifting products.
Makkuse has strong potential in diaspora-driven markets, where Nepali communities actively seek traditional flavors during festivals such as Dashain and Tihar. Furthermore, there is growing demand in luxury gift markets, where presentation and storytelling are often more important than mass production, for high-end “exotic” sweets.
The global confectionery industry is worth hundreds of billions of dollars, and niche ethnic sweets are becoming a fast-growing segment. If Makkuse and similar brands successfully enter international markets, they can position Nepali sweets as Himalayan luxury desserts, similar to how Turkish baklava has achieved global recognition. The key opportunity lies not in competing with global chocolate giants, but in occupying a niche market where authenticity, culture, and handmade quality are highly valued.
Despite strong potential, Nepali sweet brands like Makkuse face several challenges in exporting internationally. First, most Nepali sweets are milk-based and highly perishable, meaning they spoil quickly and require advanced preservation methods for long-distance shipping. Second, limited industrial production capacity makes it difficult to produce the large and consistent quantities required by export markets, as many brands still operate in semi-artisanal ways.
Third, strict international regulations present a major barrier. To export to markets such as the United States or Europe, companies must comply with standards including FDA approval, HACCP certification, and other food safety requirements, for which many small Nepali businesses are not yet fully prepared. Fourth, logistics and costs are also significant challenges because Nepal is landlocked, making international shipping expensive and dependent on transit through neighboring countries.
Finally, branding and global awareness remain weak. While Makkuse is well known in Nepal, it lacks widespread international recognition. Therefore, strong marketing efforts and a robust digital presence are essential to compete effectively in global markets. The government of Nepal can play a crucial role in supporting brands like Makkuse in entering international markets. One of the most important contributions would be improving export infrastructure, including food-testing laboratories, packaging support, and certification systems that meet international standards.
Government trade policies can also provide subsidies or tax incentives for small food exporters, making it easier for these brands to compete globally. Additionally, traditional culinary products such as pustakari and gundpak can be actively promoted through the Nepal Trade Integration Strategy as cultural exports at international trade exhibitions. Another important initiative is branding Nepal as a “cultural food destination” within global tourism marketing campaigns. If Nepali sweets are promoted alongside tourism, they can gain recognition as an integral part of the Himalayan cultural identity. The government can also support logistics improvements and establish export facilitation centers to reduce shipping costs and bureaucratic delays. Public-private partnerships can help small brands such as Makkuse scale production while maintaining quality standards.
Makkuse represents an important shift in Nepal’s food industry, where traditional sweets are being reimagined as premium cultural products with international potential. The entrepreneurial journey of its founder reflects innovation, cultural pride, and a commitment to positioning Nepali heritage on the global stage. Trade data show that Nepal’s confectionery exports remain extremely small, at less than one million USD annually, highlighting a significant gap between potential and actual performance. However, global demand for authentic ethnic desserts is increasing rapidly, creating substantial opportunities for growth.
The comparison with baklava clearly demonstrates that success in global sweets markets depends not only on taste but also on branding, industrial scaling, packaging, and international distribution systems. While Nepal is still at an early stage of development in this sector, brands like Makkuse can play a pioneering role in building a global identity for Nepali sweets.
With support from government policies, improved infrastructure, and stronger international branding, Nepali sweets have the potential to gain global recognition as Himalayan luxury desserts, just as baklava represents Turkey and chocolate represents Switzerland.
