Kathmandu, May 1 -- There is a fruit that almost every Nepali child has grown up with, tart, chewy, and unmistakably familiar. Lapsi, the Nepali hog plum, has long been a staple of snacking culture across the country-its sharp sourness transformed into candies, pickles, and chatpate street bites.

But for all its cultural significance, lapsi had never truly crossed borders. It had never sat on a shelf in a boutique chocolate shop in Europe or been gifted in a premium box to someone in North America who had never heard of Nepal's hills and forests. That is, until Lekbesy came along.

Founded by Dikshya Paudel and her partner, Vivek Rana, Lekbesy is the brand name of the parent company, Namuna Agro Products, a food-processing startup that a...