Nepalese cuisine
The term Nepalese cuisine refers to foods that are consumed in Nepal . The cultural and geographical diversity of Nepal, due to different ethnicities , soil types and a special climate, has led to a variety of different dishes.
Dal-bhat-tarkari ( दाल भात तरकारी ) is consumed throughout Nepal. In Dal is one of lenses existing and spices soup. This is served with boiled grain, bhat - usually rice , but sometimes other grains - with vegetable curry, tarkari . The side dishes include small amounts of extremely hot chutneys (चटनी) or South Asian pickles ( achaar , अचार), which can be served fresh or fermented. There are countless variations of this dish, thousands are assumed. Other side dishes are lemon wedges ( nibuwa) or limes ( kagati ) with fresh green chilli ( hariyo khursani ). Dhindo (ढिंडो) is another traditional dish in Nepal.
Much of Nepal's cuisine consists of slightly modified dishes from other Asian countries. Some dishes have both Tibetan, Indian and Thai roots. Momo - Tibetan dumplings with Nepalese spices are particularly popular in Nepal. Originally these were filled with buffalo meat , but now goat and turkey meat as well as vegetarian fillings are also used. Special dishes like sel roti and patre are prepared on special occasions like the tihar . More recently, other variations have also been introduced into Nepalese cuisine, including taas , a dish prepared similar to kebab .
Through contact with Europeans, the Nepalese cuisine was enriched with bread , cheese , pies and ice cream . Restaurants that offer dishes such as pizza and were originally intended to cater to tourists are now also enjoying increasing popularity among locals.
species
Khas and Pahadi cuisine (central hill country)
Dal-bhat-tarkari is a standard dish that is eaten twice a day. However, since irrigated rice fields are a rarity due to the rural conditions, rice is partially or completely replaced by other types of grain. Unleavened flatbread ( roti or chapati ) is made from wheat . Corn ( makai ), buckwheat ( fapar ), barley ( jau ) or millet ( kodo ) are made into oatmeal- like dhido or ato . Tarkari consists of spinach and fresh vegetables ( sag ), fermented and dried vegetables ( gundruk or '' Sinki '' ), daikon radish ( mula ), potatoes ( alu ), green beans ( simi ), tomatoes ( golbeda ), cauliflower ( kauli ), Cabbage ( bandakopi ), pumpkin ( farsi ) etc.
Fruits that traditionally grow in the valleys of Nepal include mandarins ( suntala ), kaffir lime ( kagati ), lemons ( nibuwa ), nashi pears ( nashpati ) and myrica ( kaphal ). Mangoes ( aap ) grow up to 800 meters in height.
Yoghurt ( dahi ) and meat ( masu ) or fish ( machha ) prepared with curry are served as side dishes, if available. The consumption of chicken ( kukhura ) and fish is allowed by every caste except for the Brahmins ( Bahun ), who are vegetarian. Practicing Hindus, however, never eat beef ( gaiko masu ). Buffalo and yak meat are also avoided because they are too similar to beef. Traditionally, pork ( sungurko masu ) was only eaten by the Aadibasi, while wild boar ( bangur ko masu ) was originally only hunted and consumed by the Magar . A species of wild boar specially intended for consumption is reared in captivity. Its meat is enjoying increasing popularity with the paharie and other castles who traditionally did not eat pork.
Himalayan cuisine
Himalayan cuisine is culturally influenced by Tibetan cuisine and is closely linked to the ethnic groups in the Himalayas and Trans-Himalayas . Buckwheat, barley, and millet are important cold-resistant grains that are often made into noodles or tsampa (flour made from roasted grains). Butter tea is made by using butter or clarified butter and salt to make a strong tea . Mixed with tsampa flour, this tea is used as a quick food and is especially consumed when traveling.
Grain is also used to make alcoholic beverages (see below). Potatoes are another major grain and food. Considerable quantities of rice are imported from the Nepalese plains. The meat of yaks and possibly mixed yak-beef forms can be used, as can their milk. Meat is usually prepared as momo .
Thakali cuisine
Thakali cuisine, a hybrid between Himalayan cuisine and that of the lowlands, is characteristic of the Thakali who live in the Thak-Khola Valley , an old and relatively simple trade route through the high passes of the Himalaya. This dish is served in inns ( bhattis ) run by members of the Thakali along other trade routes, as well as in Pokhara and other towns in the valleys of central Nepal.
The Thakali cuisine is less vegetarian than the Pahari cuisine. From the lower castes, yak and yak-beef hybrids, also known as jhopa , were consumed. Regardless box is mutton , Bheda and Chyangra or Chiru called consumed. This is imported from Tibet. Meat is usually cut into thin slices and cooked on thin sticks near the fire. Blood sausage is also prepared and dried. Dried meat is mixed with vegetable curry or steamed in clarified butter and dipped in timur-ko-choup , a mixture of red chilli powder, Szechuan pepper , salt and local herbs. This spice mixture is also used to season potatoes or eggs that are boiled, fried or used to make omelets.
The Thakali cuisine uses locally grown buckwheat, barley, millet and lentil beans, as well as rice, maize and dal, which are imported from lower regions in the south of the country. Grains can be ground and cooked into a thick millet gruel, which is eaten with dal instead of rice. A type of dal is also made from dried and ground buckwheat leaves. To prepare a snack between meals, grain can be roasted or placed in hot sand (which is then sieved off). The Thakalis also follow Tibetan customs regarding the preparation of tsampa and tea with butter and salt. Clarified butter is used to make tea and as an oil for frying.
Since most of the Thakali people traded, they were able to import vegetables, fruits and eggs from lower regions. A large number of different vegetables were consumed every day, some of them, especially daikon and beetroot , dried and prepared with mutton. Soup made from spinach , known as gyang-to , was served with a dash of timur-ko-choup . With the arrival of foreign gardeners, apples were introduced into the local kitchen and have been part of the food culture ever since.
Kitchen of the Newar
Newar are an urbanized ethnic group that originally lived in the Kathmandu valley, but can also be found in other cities in the central hill country. In the fertile Kathmandu and Pokhara valleys, growing fruit and vegetables is more profitable than growing grain, especially since rice and other goods can be imported cheaply. In addition, Newar households have relatively high incomes and the culture emphasizes food and celebration.
Although the daily meals are largely composed of components from the general valley region, on special occasions, for example ritual, ceremonial or other festivities, a greater variety of dishes than that of the Pahari comes to light. Water buffalo meat is widely used in Newari cuisine . For vegetarians, meat and dried fish can be replaced with fried tofu or cottage cheese. Fermentation as a preparation method is ascribed a high priority in the Newar cuisine, whereas the Pahari use some aachar spices .
Kwāti (क्वाति soup made from different beans), kachilā (कचिला seasoned minced meat), chhoylā (छोयला water buffalomeat that ismarinated with spices and grilled over the flames of dried wheat stalks ), pukālā (पुकाला fried meat), where (व: lentil cake), paun kwā (पाउँक्वा sour soup), swan pukā (स्वँपुका filled lungs), syen (स्येँ fried liver), mye (म्ये boiled and fried tongue), sapu mhichā (सःपू म्हिचा gizzard filled with bone marrow) and sanyā khunā (सन्या खुना jellied fish soup) are some of the more popular meals prepared for special occasions.
For dessert, dhau (h yogurt), sisābusā (सिसाबुसा fruit) and mari (मरि sweets) are served. There are also achaars which are prepared from the fruits of the aamli . Thwon (थ्वँ rice beer) and aylā (अयला local alcohol) are some common alcoholic drinks prepared by Newars.
Other ethnic variants of the central hill country
Water buffalo and pork are consumed by many janajati (indigenous peoples with customs that deviate from Hindu norms). Originally the Magars ate pork, but not water buffalo meat, with the Gurung , which at first glance seem similar , this was the other way around. Tamang , Rai and Limbu , who lived further east, had unique dishes including kinema (fermented soybeans), yangben ( reindeer lichen ), preparations made with bamboo shoots, bread made from millet or buckwheat and the traditional limbu drink, tongba (millet beer).
Terai kitchen
The cuisine, which belongs to the Terai region south of the Siwaliks, consists of different types of dishes, which vary from region to region. These include the Maithili cuisine in the east, the Tharu cuisine in the west and the Bhojpuri cuisine in the center and western parts of the Madhesh region . Further west, the culinary habits of the Awadhi dominate , which were influenced by those of the Mughlai - these are particularly cultivated by the Muslim population around Nepalganj .
The eating habits of the Terai are more diverse than those of the peoples living in the middle hills. This is due to a larger selection of cultivated grains as well as market cultures imported from cooler microclimates of the nearby hill region and various parts of Greater Nepal. Fruits grown in the Terai include mango ( aap ), litchi , papaya ( armewa / mewa ), bananas ( kera / kela ) and jackfruit ( katahar / katahal ).
A typical Terai service consisted of basmati rice with clarified butter, daal made from pigeon peas, tarkari (various cooked vegetables), taruwa (a dough made from raw vegetables such as potatoes brinjal / aubergine, chilli, cauliflower, etc. fried in oil), papadum , Mango / lemon pimples and yogurt. The non-vegetarian ingredients consumed include fish and goat curry. Traditionally, poultry was not served, but urbanization has changed this so that poultry is also often served.
In Nepal there are seven valleys, the Inner Terai valleys , which are surrounded by the Sivalik and the Mahabharat . At the beginning these valleys were extremely affected by malaria and were mainly populated by the Tharu and Maithil , who showed a genetic resistance to it. Because the valleys were isolated from each other, different Tharu enclaves spoke different dialects and had different customs. The existence of different kitchens is assumed but has not yet been investigated in more detail. Nevertheless, the diet was varied through hunting and gathering, or changing agriculture and keeping cattle.
This is in contrast to the diet of the Pahari, which was primarily shaped by agriculture; Few sources of animal protein were used as strict religious and caste regulations prohibited it. In the 1950s, Nepal opened its borders to foreigners and foreign aid missions and programs to combat malaria; in the Inner Madhesh this enabled the non-resistant population to survive. Because of this, the Tharu and Maithil saw an influx of population fleeing the food shortages in the valleys. The conversion of forest and grassland into fields and a hunting ban resulted in the Tharu and Maithil in the eastern and western parts of the country changing their diet from hunting and collecting fruits to making better use of fish, freshwater crabs , freshwater shrimp and water snails surrounded by rivers and ponds.
The Tharu also made use of raising chickens. It is also said that dogs were used to hunt rats that were in rice paddies and then roasted on sticks. Mutton could be obtained from nomadic peoples in the valleys such as the Kham-Magar . These moved with their flocks of sheep and goats in summer to sub-alpine pastures bordering the Himalayas and in winter to the valleys of the Inner Madhesh. Increasing competition for land and forced the Tharu Mathil to the task of shifting cultivation and to accommodate sedentary arable land farming, whereby the national custom of eating rice with lentils, came up. The Tharu or Maithil also have a special way of preparing this food, including rice and lentil dumplings called bagiya or dhikri . A type of gruel, maar , is also made from unripe rice .
The taro root is an important regional crop, the leaves and roots of which are consumed. Sidhara is a mixture of taro roots, dried fish and turmeric that are formed into cakes and dried for storage. The cakes are broken and cooked with beetroot, chilli, garlic and other spices, and rice is used as a side dish. Snails are cleaned, cooked and seasoned to prepare ghonghi . Other traditional Tharu and Maithil recipes include roasted crabs, wheat flatbreads in mustard oil and cakes made from taro leaves.
Lohorung kitchen
Lohorung are indigenous peoples in eastern Nepal . A number of different dishes are prepared from local ingredients, including Tongba , Wachipa , Wamik , Masikdaam , Kinima , Sibring , Sel roti , Bawari , Dhule Achar , Saruwa , Chamre , Yangpen and Dibu .
Snacks
Snacks include fried dried corn ( khaja ; literally "eat and go"); whipped rice ( baji or chiura ), roasted soybeans ( bhatmas , Nepali: भटमास), dried fruits ( lapsi ) and South Asian dishes such as samosa and South Asian Sweets. International confectionery, such as cookies , potato chips and wai wai (Nepali: वाइ वाइ, instant noodles ) are becoming increasingly popular. Sections of the younger population of Nepal prefer snacks from the western world as they are easier to obtain and less time consuming.
beverages
Tea ( chiya ), usually drunk with milk and sugar, sugar cane juice ( sarbat ), and buttermilk ( mahi ) are common non-alcoholic drinks. Alcoholic beverages include raksi , spirits made in rural distilleries, and jard , home- brewed rice beer. Millet beer ( tongba or chhaang ) is brewed in higher regions .
Street vendors of snacks
Raksi distillery
Millet beer
Food culture
Meals are traditionally eaten sitting or crouching. However, tables and chairs are available in the city restaurants. A large amount of bhat (cooked rice or other grains like corn or barley) or a pile of roti (unleavened bread) is served on a jharke thal , a rimmed brass or steel plate about 12 "/ 30 cm in diameter. The rice is surrounded by smaller amounts of prepared vegetables, fresh chutney or pickles, sometimes quark / yoghurt, fish or meat.
Soup-like dal and vegetables cooked in sauce can be served in separate small bowls to be poured over the rice. The food is brought to the mouth with the fingers of the right hand, the left hand must never touch the food, but can hold cups and glasses. The right hand is washed before and after eating.
Although caste discrimination is declining in Nepalese society and there is less attention to ritual contamination , these concepts can find application in traditionally-oriented upper-caste households. In this context, water is considered to be easily contaminated, which also applies to the container. Containers made of clay or wood must be thrown away, metal containers require ritual cleaning. It can often be observed that water is consumed by pouring it directly into the mouth without the container touching the mouth, so as not to contaminate the container and its contents.
Dry cooked grains, including whipped rice and roasted soybeans and rice pudding cooked in milk instead of water ( khir ), and raw fruits are less prone to ritual contamination. These foods can be accepted by any “clean” caste, but not by the Dalit . However, water or food made with water can be a problem. Traditionally, these may not be accepted by a caste lower than that of the recipient / consumer. For this reason, the first woman in a polygamous household should never belong to a caste lower than that of the man.
Foreigners and members of many ethnic groups ( janajati ), some of which are Hindu, can belong to an intermediate state; these are neither completely untouchable nor completely “clean”. This can lead to the fact that they are not welcome in houses of the higher caste and should not enter them without invitation (and only had to sit outside on the porch). Upper-caste Hindus can refuse to eat with them completely or avoid eating certain foods that have been exposed to ritual contamination.
Violations of eating habits were classified as criminal offenses by the Muluki Ain (the central legal text of the country) in 1854, this regulation was only abolished in 1962. Since 1962, discriminatory habits have fallen into disuse among educated and urban Nepalese, but the rural population continues to use them. Guests and visitors are therefore encouraged to follow local traditions, unless otherwise agreed with the hosts.
See also
Bibliography
- Per Löwdin: Food, Ritual and Society: A Study of Social Structure and Food Symbolism among the Newars (Ph.D. Dissertation, Faculty of Cultural Anthropology, Uppsala University, Sweden) 2002. Archived from the original on May 10, 2015. Retrieved on 17th November 2013.
Web links
- Guide to Nepali food
- Nicole Saidi: In search of Nepal's culinary identity . CNN , October 14, 2011.
- Nepali food recipes
- Nepali food
- Authentic Nepali food
Individual evidence
- ↑ Pickle - Achar - Chutney . Food-nepal.com. Retrieved September 12, 2010.
- ↑ nepalitimes.com
- ↑ Lok Nath Devkota: Deciduous Fruit in Nepal . FAO. Retrieved October 14, 2013.
- ↑ ? About Historical and Contemporary Limbu Women of Nepal? . Forum.welovenepal.com. June 24, 2008. Archived from the original on November 15, 2016. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved September 12, 2010.
- ^ The Sikkim cuisines . Indiatraveltimes.com. Retrieved September 12, 2010.
- ↑ Nepali Mithila Cuisine . Mithilacuisine.blogspot.com. Retrieved September 12, 2010.
- ^ Voice of Tharus: Fishing and the Tharus including Maithil .
- ↑ Voice of Tharus: Bagiya - the rice flour dumplings made the Tharu way .
- ↑ Voice of Tharus: Sidhara - the colocasia concoction .
- ↑ Voice of Tharus: Excuse me, it's escargot!
- ↑ Voice of Tharus: Three mouth-watering Tharu dishes .
