Nepalese Cuisine

Nepalese cuisine is very complete and healthy, based on seasonal vegetables. Over 60% of the population are farmers and consume their own produce. Nepalese living in cities almost all have family working in the fields. It is very common for vegetables to be sent to them throughout the year.

Numerous fruits are also produced in the country, although production is insufficient to date.

Nepal produces many cereals such as wheat, millet, barley and buckwheat.

Nepalese cuisine is spicy, but significantly less so than its neighbor India. It’s perfectly possible to cook it without spices while still preserving its quality and flavor by omitting chilies and chili powder if desired, or by reducing the quantities.

Nepalese cuisine is influenced by many criteria

  • Influence of its two large neighbors
    • Indian influence is evident in the south of the country and the Terai plains . The cuisine there is spicy (though less so than in India) using numerous spices such as turmeric, cumin, and coriander. The famous dal bhat (rice and lentil soup) and tarkari (vegetable curry) are found there,
    • Tibetan influence (North and mountains): The inhabitants primarily eat grains such as wheat, buckwheat, and barley. Their dishes are warming to combat the cold. The famous momos (steamed dumplings) and noodle soups (thukpa) originate from this region.
  • The country’s geographical and climatic influences divide Nepalese cuisine into three main zones, creating a varied and unique diet.
    • The Terai. The subtropical character  and flat terrain allow for intensive agriculture with rice, lentils, corn, wheat, potatoes, tropical fruits, and spices being the main products.
    • The hill region (temperate climate). This area includes the Kathmandu Valley. The climate here is mild, allowing for the cultivation of many vegetables, corn, and fruits. To preserve food during the rainy season (the monsoon), Nepalese people ferment their vegetables. Gundruk is a famous preparation made with dried and fermented vegetable leaves.
    • The Himalayan region (alpine and cold climate). In these very high and cold mountains, it is difficult to grow plants. The inhabitants mainly eat cold-resistant grains such as barley, millet, and buckwheat, as well as potatoes. Yaks provide meat and milk for making cheese. Soups and noodles warm the body. Salted butter tea is a very popular hot drink to combat the cold.
  • Influence of different ethnic groups. Each community has adapted its recipes to local ingredients, creating a mosaic of unique flavors. In the south, the Tharu and Maithil use far more mustard seeds, cumin, and chilies than in the mountains, while the Thakalis make extensive use of jimbu (a mountain herb with a flavor reminiscent of onion and garlic) to flavor their dishes. The Himalayan groups (Sherpas, Tamangs, Tibetans), living in the cold mountains where rice struggles to grow, have a diet based on hardy grains and meat
  • Religious influence that blends Hindu and Buddhist teachings. Beliefs forbid certain foods, encourage fasting rituals, and divide society based on the purity of ingredients.
    • Hindus consider the cow sacred, and its consumption is strictly forbidden by law. Beef is banned in most Hindu and Buddhist households. Although the cow is revered, buffalo meat is very popular.
    • Many high-caste Hindus (such as the Bahuns and the Chetris) are vegetarians out of devotion.
    • The cuisine is organized around the Ayurvedic principle of Ahinsa (non-violence). Pure foods, or Sattvic (vegetables, fresh fruits, milk), are favored for spiritual purity. Meats and spicy foods, considered stimulating (Rajasic) or impure (Tamasic), are often avoided.
    • Tibetan Buddhism does not uniformly prohibit meat, particularly in Himalayan regions where vegetables are scarce.
    • Nepalese culture places great importance on spiritual hygiene. Any food or drink touched by the mouth becomes Jutho. Drinking directly from a communal bottle without the lips touching it is a custom dictated by this belief.
    • Religious practices dictate periods of fasting throughout the year.
    • During the month of Shrawan (mid-July to mid-August), many devotees strictly avoid meat to honor the god Shiva.
  • Family influence. Each ethnic group (such as the Newars, Thakalis, or Sherpas) has traditions passed down from parents. The family and the group define the ingredients, techniques, and rituals of each meal.
    • Recipes (like dal bhat or sel roti) are passed down from grandparents to grandchildren. Each family has its own spice blends.
    • Mothers and grandmothers are the guardians of traditions. They cook every day and during holidays.
    • Food is an act of sharing. Family members often eat together, sitting on mats on the floor.
  • The influence of festivals, which punctuate the calendar and are inextricably linked to gastronomy, is significant. Each major festival has its own specialty. Festive food in Nepal celebrates abundance, health, and the cycle of nature.
    • The Dashain festival celebrates renewal with an abundance of meat, such as khasiko masu (goat curry) and sel roti (ring-shaped fried rice fritters).
    • For Tihar, the festival of lights, these same sel roti are accompanied by sweets.
    • During Maghe Sankranti, which marks the end of winter, tubers (tarul) and chaku (molasses) are consumed for energy.
    • At the beginning of the monsoon season, nine-bean soup (kwati) is a popular dish for boosting the immune system.
    • Many festivals have a Hindu or Buddhist religious dimension, which influences the nature of the food. Offerings made to deities, such as Yomari (a rice dough ball filled with cane sugar and sesame) eaten during Yomari Punhi, are then shared as blessings.

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