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Many people often wrongly assume that Nepalese food is similar to
Indian food and consists of "curry" and rice and many
Nepalese restaurants reinforce this by serving Indian food to customers.
The most common food is dhal bhat which is a soup of lentils and
spices and rice. A tarkari is added on top which is usually
vegetables shallow fried with spices. In the hills where rice is
expensive the Nepalese substitute rice for dhedo which is a mixture
of flour and water or butter. Dhedo is similarly eaten in Tibet.
One dish that is usually immensely popular amongst tourists is momo.
This is a dumpling usually filled with buffalo or yak meat and
steamed, and traditionally eaten with a sauce made from ginger,
chillies and tomatoes. There is a difference between the long Tibetan
momo and the round Newari momo, also the Newari variety comes with a
delicious spicy soup!
Gundrook- Dheedo
Equally popular among Nepali people and foreign tourists,
Gundrook-Dheedo is a sugar-free dish made of wheat, maize and dried
green vegetable. The food is high on nutrition level and satisfies
the taste buds as well.
Alu Tama
Aloo Tama (Alu Tama) simply means 'Potato Bamboo Shoots'. It is a
unique and classic Nepali curry flavor dish. It is unique in the
sense that it is unlike any other Indian or South Asian curry since
they rarely use bamboo shoots. Similarly, unlike other East Asian
cuisine such as Chinese that uses Bamboo shoots but do not use curry spices.
Vegetable Pulao (Fried Nepali Rice)
Vegetable Pulao is one of the popular ways rice is served during the
parties and events in the Nepalese household. It has flavor of
turmeric and cumin to it. The rice is particularly famous among
tourists who prefer eating it with curd and Manchurian.
Masu
Masu is spiced or curried meat (usually chicken, mutton, buffalo or
pork) with gravy. Served with rice, it is a main course dish, very
popular in Nepal.
Vegetable Thukpa (Egg Noodles)
This is a seasonal dish. Tibetan Vegetable Thukpa is one of the main
food. During Tibetan new year celebration 'Losar'the dish is a part
of celebration and tradition for the Nepalese.
Chatamari
Regarded as Newari pizza, Chatamari is a flat bread made from rice
flour with or without toppings (meat, vegetables, eggs, sugar). It is
highly savoured by the tourists who consider it as a good and healthy
substitute to pizza.
Drinks
Tongba
A special Limbu culture drink, Tongba is homemade wine. Fermented
millet seeds are put in a wooden or plastic mug which is filled with
hot water. One sips through a bamboo straw as more hot water is added
which makes Tongba go down easily with greater impact and taste. Many
consume this drink during winter season, and is also a favorite drink
among the tourists.
Rakshi
Rakshi is a millet-based distilled alcoholic drink It is
traditionally an important requirement at a lot of religious rituals
and social events, perhaps because it is not only an alcoholic drink
but also because of its antiseptic qualities. It is a strong drink,
and is often brewed at home.
The most common custom in Nepal is jutho which translates as
"contaminated" and requires people not to touch others'
food and drink with either their hands or their spoon. When drinking
water for example, Nepalese people will not touch the bottle or glass
to their lips so that others can drink from it also.
Another custom is the idea that the foot is ritually dirty and
therefore stepping over food or pointing the soles of your feet is disrespectful. |
