National cuisine of Nepal for gourmets. Authentic recipes, delicacies and specialties

Traditions of Indian and Tibetan cuisines are predominant in Nepal. Chinese cuisine is the third most popular. In recent years, mostly thanks to tourists, European dishes have appeared in the country. Nepalese do not eat much meat. Rice, greens, vegetables, lentils, and wheat with various spices are the main ingredients in the national cuisine. Dairy products such as doodh (milk) and dhau (yogurt) are also popular. Rice is the most frequently consumed product. It is also an essential ingredient in many traditional dishes. Spices are present in absolutely every dish. Different combinations of fragrant spices create marvelous tastes. Even simple bamboo sprouts get a pleasant flavor and taste. Local bread is flat and is usually made from corn, wheat, or rice flour.

Here are some of the most common daily foods in Nepal: chicken chili (chicken meat with tomatoes and spices) and sekuwa (chicken, lamb, pork, or bull meat grilled in a way similar to kebab). Creamy Dahl soup with lentils is very popular in the country, same as Alu Tama soup with dried bamboo sprouts with greens and spices. Kwa Ghasa soup with vegetables and thick broth from leftover meat is another interesting dish. Finally, consider trying the Nepalese Nine Bean soup. Geda gudi is a soup with beans as the main ingredient and onion, coriander, and lentils. As a snack, many Nepalese eat Baji – pounded rice that can come with meat, curry, yogurt, or simply tea. Finally, it would be a mistake to forget about Saag – vegetarian dishes with mustard greens, spinach, and other green vegetables.

Dal Bhat is the most popular dish in Nepal. Rice is the main ingredient here, but unusual garnishes make it taste unique. Dal Bhat can contain lentils sauce, fish, eggs, meat, onion, spices, various vegetables, and even fruit. Besides spices, not all these ingredients can be in one dish. This makes Dal Bhat diverse and interesting to try again and again. The dish is usually served on a big plate with rice in the center, flatbread, and various ingredients around the rice. Locals eat Dal Bhat with their hands – with their right hand to be precise as this is an old tradition. Tourists can ask utensils. As a rule, restaurants serve this dish already with utensils if they see foreign guests. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Momo is another traditional Nepalese dish that is worth trying in this country. Some even say that this is the main dish in Nepal. Anyway, momo is the local dish that tourists order the most. This is a steamed dumpling with various tastes. The taste depends on the filling – momo can contain chicken, pork, lamb, vegetables, and even sweet fillings. Both restaurants at hotels and small cafes cook and offer momo. This is an inexpensive, nutritious, and delicious dish, so it is easy to understand why tourists like it so much.

Now let’s talk about local drinks. Dairy drinks usually contain yak milk. These are such drinks as Dahi (curd), Lassi (curd-type drink with salt and sugar), and Masala tea (tea with milk and various spices). Locally produced Nepalese alcoholic drinks have a distinct taste because of rice that is not only the main daily food of local people but also the main ingredient in alcohol. White Chang beer is brewed from rice. Consider trying local rice drink that somewhat resembles sake - Raksi. Some famous brands of beer such as Tiger, Tuborg, and Karlsberg are also brewed in Nepal.

It is impossible to stay hungry in Kathmandu. In Thamel, a popular tourist district in the capital of Nepal, there are so many cafes and restaurants. Simply take a short stroll from your hotel in any direction, and you will certainly see a restaurant that offers Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Italian, Korean, or Mexican cuisine. The Newar people are the indigenous population of the Kathmandu valley. Fast-food fans will be glad to find McDonald’s restaurants, but if you want to try something more authentic, order momo and samosa, local patty cakes.

What restaurants in the capital are suitable for tourists? La Dolce Vita restaurant offers Italian food and wine. In New Orleans Café, guests will find a romantic atmosphere, a good menu, frequent live music concerts, and pleasant prices. OR2K is a vegetarian restaurant that offers Israeli food. The restaurant’s owner is from Israel so he knows the cuisine of this Middle Eastern country very well. The food is served on tables but all guests sit on pillows on the floor. Note that you need to take your shoes off to enter the restaurant, so don't forget about new socks. Fu Ru Sato restaurant is a great destination for fans of authentic Japanese food.

All restaurants have different prices. As a rule, it is not expensive to eat in Nepal, but restaurants at expensive hotels usually have prices that are two times higher than in cafes that every guide can recommend. That is why, if you plan to get acquainted with the country with the help of a guide, it is better to choose a person who can speak English and not only talk about attractions but also understand what you are saying. If you plan to visit the mountains, don’t forget that food becomes more expensive the further you are from big cities. In cafes high in the mountains, the price can be several times higher than in the cities located in the valley.

Nepal is home to roughly one hundred different ethnic groups. Each of these groups has its own cooking traditions that make the Nepalese cuisine quite diverse and different in various parts of the country. Hotel restaurants in big cities usually offer authentic national dishes and the dishes that are familiar to foreign guests. The menu can be quite different in the mountains. When foreign guests try village food for the first time, not all of them can enjoy it without any consequences. For this purpose, don’t forget to take medicines against the upset stomach.