Page 10 - Nepal Destination Guide - Alluring Asia

FOOD The national dish is dal bhat, boiled rice topped with a sauce of lentils and served with curried vegetables (tarkari or subji), seasoned with a dab of spicy pickled vegetable (achar). This meal is eaten morning and evening with monotonous regularity by all who can afford it. Rice is expensive in the un-irrigated higher hills, where the staple is dhiro, a pasty boiled mush of millet or corn. Up in the mountains, cuisine turns Tibetan and tsampa holds sway. This roasted barley flour can be mixed with tea and eaten without further cooking, convenient in a fuel-scarce region. The Sherpas of Khumbu live on exceptionally tasty high-altitude potatoes. Trekkers here should sample rigi koor, crisp potato pancakes served with yak butter, chilies and deliciously creamy yak-milk yogurt. The number one eating rule in Nepal is always use your right hand. The left hand, used for washing yourself after defecating, is never used to eat food and certainly should not be used to pass food (or anything at all). Caste rules also play a part in Nepali eating habits. Some foods are strictly taboo in Nepal. Beef is strictly banned from the menu since the cow is a holy animal. WATER SAFETY Always drink bottled water or water that has been boiled. Never drink water from a tap. If you are unsure if the water has been treated you can always drink tea as the preparation for tea requires that the water is boiled.