FOOD AND CUISINES OF KALIMPONG

Eating out in Kalimpong is really incredible and simply fabulous. Though one could not see innumerable chic and stylish restaurants in this hill station but it completely satisfies the hunger of its visitors with small, simple and wayside stalls. The main snacks that are liked by the local people and tourists in Kalimpong are Momos and Thukpa (i.e. noodle soup). On the priority, people of Kalimpong love to eat Tibetan and Chinese food. There are many restaurants and small eateries that offer these two cuisines and other than these, one could also find them serving Indian as well as Mughlai cuisine also. Then, if your taste goes with Western cuisine, then also there are few restaurants that serve this style food.

Shyaa Phaley

This is a delicious Tibetan dish which is made with flatbread stuffed with seasoned beef or any other variety of meat which suits the preference. Given a circular or semi-circular shape, this dish is deep fried and served hot and sizzling alongside a spicy chutney and soup.

Sel Roti is a famous food in Kalimpong and is basically a mildly sweet ring-shaped bread. This homemade rice bread is very similar to doughnuts. An origin of the Indian subcontinent, this traditional food is prepared mainly during the festivals of Dashain and Tihar which are among the most significant celebrations in the Hindu tradition. These festivals are primarily observed in Nepal and north-eastern parts of India including Sikkim and Darjeeling.

Thukpa in Kalimpong is a well-known dish and a traditional Tibetan food. The popularity of this dish has crossed borders and has even reached the cities like Delhi where they served and eaten with the same love. The dish became an inseparable part of the Darjeeling food with the migration of Tibetan refugees into the city. Thukpa is basically a form of noodles served in a meat soup. The soup also contains stewed meat, vegetables and is garnished with fresh spring onions and chopped coriander. Available in different forms, Amdo Thukpa is a popular variant. Originated in Tibets Eastern region, Thukpa in Darjeeling is now a major dish in neighboring countries of Nepal, Bhutan, and many northeastern Indian states of Sikkim, Assam, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh.

Momo: Momo is a type of steamed dumpling with some form of filling, most commonly beef and it is originally from Tibet. Momo has become a delicacy in Nepal and Tibetan communities in Bhutan, as well as people of the Indian regions of Darjeeling, Ladakh, Sikkim, Assam, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh. In Pakistan, Gilgit-Baltistan region it is known as mamtoo.