{"id":12266,"date":"2019-11-25T13:00:31","date_gmt":"2019-11-25T13:00:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.isango.com\/theguidebook\/?p=12266"},"modified":"2019-11-13T02:21:16","modified_gmt":"2019-11-13T02:21:16","slug":"ten-foods-you-have-to-try-in-kathmandu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.isango.com\/theguidebook\/ten-foods-you-have-to-try-in-kathmandu\/","title":{"rendered":"Ten Foods You Have to Try in Kathmandu"},"content":{"rendered":"

The smell of chai masala steeping in hot milk fresh from the udder, melt-in-your-mouth Nepali chicken tenderly stewed in a complex algorithm of exotic spices and the sizzle of panipuri batter crisping into tamarind-infused bread pockets.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Food plays such a central role in Nepali life and from the crunch of a cumin seed or the pungency of ginger a microcosm of Nepali culture and tradition explodes.\u00a0 The first question on everybody\u2019s lips is never \u201chow are you\u201d but rather \u201chave you taken rice?\u201d i.e. Have you eaten? Are you hungry? Let me feed you!!<\/em><\/p>\n

Nepalese cuisine varies from region to region, and aama\u2019s (mum\u2019s) home cooking adapts with geography. For a taste of it all, nowhere compares to the capital: in Kathmandu, every regional diet and spice concoction comes together in one delicious and eclectic hotpot.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Customs and Culture<\/h4>\n

\"Kathmandu-food-and-culture-a-plate-of-Nepali-food-with-drinks\"<\/p>\n

Before we dig in and indulge in foodie fantasy, it’s essential to learn a little something about Nepali customs and culture to avoid accidentally offending your host.<\/p>\n

Never \u2013 and I mean NEVER<\/strong> \u2013 eat with your left hand. This hand is reserved for number one: washing and number two: well, number twos. It\u2019s fine to hold a utensil or glass in that hand, but everything else is off-limits.<\/p>\n

Sharing is not<\/em><\/strong> caring: if it has touched your lips, it\u2019s now considered polluted. Lady and the tramp style spaghetti eating is entirely out of the question, and if someone offers you water, don\u2019t let that bottle touch your lips.<\/p>\n

Capiche?<\/p>\n

Now, here\u2019s what you should be sinking your teeth into in Kathmandu:<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

1. Dal Baht<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Diet varies from region to region, but one staple remains the same throughout dal-baht. Eaten at breakfast, lunch or dinner\u2026and often all three!<\/p>\n

Lentil soup is poured onto boiled rice, mixed together, pinched into a saucy, sticky, sumptuous ball and popped into your mouth\u2026 all with one hand remember. Up for the challenge?<\/p>\n

A traditional Tibetan trade-in for rice is called tsampa. A hearty, nutty-tasting dough made from mixing butter tea and barley flour. You\u2019ll be transported back to childhood as you get handsy and creative eating the dough.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

2. Thali Platter<\/strong><\/h4>\n

\"A-plate-of-food-from-Nepal-eaten-in-Kathmandu\"<\/p>\n

If Dal Baht is to the Nepalis as meat and two veg is to the Brits, then a thali platter is the roast dinner. If for some inexplicable and inhumane reason you only eat out once in Kathmandu then ignore the rest of the menu and trust me on this.<\/p>\n

The dishes vary from place to place, but essentially thali is a little bit of everything. A mound of rice encircled by a selection of dishes: maybe dal, a couple of achars (pickled vegetables), dahi (yoghurt), and a vegetable or Nepalese chicken curry. And don\u2019t be afraid to ask for more of everything, it’s expected!<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

3. Spiced Cucumber <\/strong><\/h4>\n

So incredibly basic but so weirdly moreish; for something a little more healthy this is one of my favourite snacks\u2026and weirdly I\u2019m generally not one for cucumber full stop – I find it bland, watery and boring. But in Nepal, cucumbers are much fleshier and fresher and grow bigger than watermelons. Sprinkled with a little salt, chilli, Sichuan pepper and turmeric. Simply yum!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

4. Momos<\/strong><\/h4>\n

\"A-plate-of-Kathmandu-food-momos\"<\/p>\n

These tasty Tibetan delicacies are similar to the Chinese dumpling: flour parcels pinched around a spiced meat or vegetable filling. Traditionally, momos were bundled with juicy buffalo meat, but on the streets of Kathmandu, you can find the snack stuffed with anything from vegetables to chicken, to cheese or even chocolate!<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

5. All the Rotis <\/strong><\/h4>\n

As soup sings for a hunk of bread, a creamy curry calls for roti. Indian bread comes in a variety of guises, but my favourites are paratha and pani puri.<\/p>\n

Paratha is a traditional flatbread that\u2019s light, and flaky dough can be filled with any number of delicious concoctions of spices, vegetables and meats – kind of like chapatti, but better. Where parathas are flat, pani puris are fried until puffy, and the crispy shell is then filled with spicy potato.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

6. Sel Roti<\/strong><\/h4>\n

\"Plate-of-Kathmandu-food-dumplings\"<\/p>\n

These sweet snacks warrant individual recognition because they are just so damn delicious. The traditional deep-fried, rice flour \u2018skinny doughnuts\u2019 are typically reserved for festivals and celebrations\u2026but really serve as great snacks whenever the craving takes you. And it will. Often.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

7. Jalebi & Barfi<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Both of these typical Nepali snacks make for the perfect sweet treats – and I mean sugar-drenched, syrupy-sticky, coat the backs of your teeth SWEET! Calorie counters, read no further.<\/p>\n

When it comes to jalebi, imagine a skinnier, chewier and much much sugary sel roti then shape it into a pretzel and coat it with saffron infused syrup. Heart-stoppingly scrumptious.<\/p>\n

Barfi, on the other hand, is much more like a Nepali variant of fudge. Condensed milk and sugar mixed with anything you can dream up: almonds, coconut, rose-water, pistachio, fig, peanuts etc\u2026.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

8. Kheer<\/strong><\/h4>\n

\"Plate-of-Kathmandu-food-rice-porridge-with-nuts<\/p>\n

This creamy and warming dessert will remind you of a Christmassy rice pudding. Spiced with cinnamon, cardamom & cloves and sprinkled with chopped nuts, this divine dish is said to be a favourite with Lord Krishna. What better recommendation than that?<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

9. Cumin Cookies<\/strong><\/h4>\n

As a sweet-toothed, tea-drinking & biscuit-tin guarding Brit, I\u2019ve dunked my fair share of digestives and nibbled my way through a hobnob or two.\u00a0 But these buttery, sweet and subtly spiced rice-flour biccies trump them all.<\/p>\n

In fact, the only thing better than a cumin biscuit is a cumin biscuit with a cup of tea\u2026<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

10. Chiya<\/strong><\/h4>\n

\"Small-clay-pots-of-tea-in-Kathmandu\"<\/p>\n

Nepal is famous for its tea and produces approximately 16.29 million kilograms of\u00a0the stuff a year. Nepali tea \u2013 or chiya<\/em> \u2013 varies in meaning from home to home. In Tibetan areas, their cuppa is butter tea (made from churning yak butter with tea and salt) while in rural Illam it is closer to what we know as black tea. The best, however, is chai masala. This milk tea is fragrantly spiced with cardamom, cloves and cinnamon and generally drank sugary sweet. Chink chink.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Street food in Kathmandu will forever set my tummy rumbling…where have your taste buds taken you?<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The most delicious dishes and scrumptious street food in Kathmandu <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":12318,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19,58,1311],"tags":[1000,1008,1312],"yoast_head":"\nTen Foods You Have to Try in Kathmandu<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Heading to Nepal and the busy streets of Kathmandu? Then you are going to need our guide to the food you need to try. 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Her father grew up in Calcutta, mother in Borneo, siblings in California and Sasha in Swindon! A sense of injustice, a good measure of sibling rivalry and a fiery passion for adventure have fueled her travels ever since. Sasha has been lucky enough to tick a few escapades off her bucket list: bungee jumping in Brazil, road tripping in Australia to name two. Not one to be landlocked, she also loves hopping around Europe. 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